Countless Rescues
by the-leading-angel1
Summary: Theres a new tournie in town and only the elite are invited which includes Yugi and his sis Mina.Trouble appears in the form of Kaiba and when Mina falls into darkness, will she let go of her past and go for the guy thats brightening her future? OCKaiba
1. Chapter 1: The Beach and the Package

**Duel of a Lifetime**

_**Chapter 1**_

_**The Beach and the Package**_

**_A/N_: Hey everybody! Um well I'm just writing this for fun and I know many people wont read this or wont even be bothered reviewing this but if you do review try not 2 judge k? I mean its for fun. I don't find any point in writing a story and not doing anything with it. Anyway its just a story 'bout Seto Kaiba and an OC. You'll find out who she is straight away cause she's the main character. Anyway enjoy and plz review! Bye!**

**_Chapter summary:_ This chap's about finding out who the main character is, who's her family, what's happened to get to this part and blah blah blah. I know, sounds boring and maybe it is 2 some people but its gotta be done otherwise there'll be confusion.**

**Italics are their thoughts ok?**

Minako Moto walked slowly along the beach looking out across the ocean. She was supposed to meet her brother and the rest of her friends down here. She sighed and let the ocean breeze whip around her. She undid her ponytail and her black hair cascaded down her back, the red streaks/highlights that were in it looking even more prominent than usual in the setting sun's light. It was funny. Lots of girls had highlights in their hair. The highlights were usually blond or brown and had to be redone every month. Minako's on the other hand was natural just like her brother Yugi had a few brown steaks in his hair. His was all natural too. The wind blew up again making her hair whip around her face and her skirt to push against her legs. Minako was wearing one of her favourite outfits. It was a black singlet top with a red outline around it and a red design of a dragon. The singlet was designed so that all could see her tan stomach . Over it she wore her favourite black leather jacket complete with a few spikes here and there. She wore a black mini-skirt and had 2 studded belts hanging loosely around her waist. Minako was pretty and she knew it. After all, her name did mean beauty. She unzipped her black leather boots she was wearing and carried them in her hands, feeling the soft sand beneath her feet. Yugi always said that her outfits were a bit to morbid and black but Minako liked it. Black suited her.

"Hey Mina!!! Over here!!" Yelled someone.

Minako turned her head and saw a group of teenagers sitting near the shoreline. She smiled, waved and dashed over to them.

"Hey!" She grinned setting herself beside her big brother. Yugi gave her a quick hug and smiled. Yugi was 1 year older then her and had taken it into his responsibility to look after her from a young age. Ever since their parents died and they moved into Grandpa's house Yugi looked after Mina as best as he could and Mina worshipped him. He was the best big brother anyone could have and Mina would protect him at all costs. He was her best friend and her big brother.

" 'Ello Moto!' Joey laughed at her. Everybody gave him a funny look. Joey looked around. "Get it? 'Ello Moto?' From the Motorola thing???"

"Give it up man. Not that funny." Tristan shook his head. Joey looked hurt but after a second started humming the tune from the Motorola theme song 'Ello Moto.'

Tea and Serenity sighed at Joey's idiocy and gave Mina a hug.

"Got you guys something." Mina announced pulling a box out of her bag. She opened it revealing heaven on earth to Joey and Tristan. Inside the box was rice buns. The sweet kind. Joey and Tristen dived on the box and Mina pulled it out of the way.

"Uh-uh-uh boys. Ladies first." And passed the box to Tea right in front of Joey's nose making him drool.

"Why? WHY? Why do you have to be such a tease!!!?" Tristan and Joey said almost crying. Mina just grinned evilly and passed the box round giving the two boys the last pick.

They sat there chatting and talking while eating their rice buns and enjoying the peaceful sunset for a while.

"It's so great to finally have a few days to ourselves not saving humanity and all that stuff." Yugi sighed contently.

Tea agreed and leant her head on Yugi's shoulder. Yugi and Tea had been going out for a week now. They had started just after Yami/Pharaoh/Atem had gone back to where he belonged after they had all traveled into the memory of the Pharaoh. Yugi still kept his Millennium Puzzle around his neck at all times. Mina picked up her millennium item which was hanging around her neck on a necklace chain. It was shaped as a tooth and there was an eye in the middle of it. It was small enough that Mina could pass it of as a nice necklace. It was called the Millennium Fang and it was the most important item although it was almost never mentioned. Mina liked it that way. Just like the puzzle, the tooth contained a 1000 year old spirit. Her name was Asheba and she was the Pharaoh's sister. She, like the Pharaoh became best friends with Mina and took ever her body when Mina was in any danger to protect her. When they went into the memory of the Pharaoh and Asheba, Yugi, Mina and the rest of the gang helped them to defeat the evil spirit that possessed Bakura. When all that was done the Pharaoh gave up his spot as ruler to Seto Kaiba's ancient Egyptian form and to Asheba. The people had a big argument about who was going to rule them but in the end it had all worked out because ancient Kaiba and Asheba ended up falling in love, getting married and ruling together. Then Mina and Yugi had to duel their best friends to save them. After all that, there was peace again although Mina was still missing the spunky girl that used to be inside her mind.

"OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!! It's Yugi and Minako Moto!!!" A girl screamed out. Soon a rush of people came running up to them. "Yugi, Minako? Can we have your autographs?", "How does it feel to be the King and Queen of Games", "Can you duel me?" and "Will you go out with me?" came from all around. Yugi, Mina and Joey spent the next half an hour signing autographs and saying hi to people. After all that Mina flopped onto the ground next to Tea and sighed.

"What did I do to deserve this?" She asked dramatically

"You became the Queen of Games." Serenity answered.

"How did all this happen…?" Mina thought out in wonder. Yugi and Mina were just two orphaned kids living with their grandfather in his games shop and now they were superstars. Mina though of all the stuff they had done to get them here today.

I was there in the first tournament, Duelist Kingdom. Where Pegasus captured Grandpa's soul and bribed us to come with it. That was were I first met Seto Kaiba. Joey was there too, trying to get the money for Serenity's surgery. I beat Mai Valentine and Yugi beat Joey which placed Joey at second place earning him the money for Serenity. Yugi and I were going to face each other in the tournament but Pegasus told us to fight him together because we both wanted the same thing. To save the people who's souls Pegasus had taken. Pegasus also said we couldn't beat him with four of us. So we took the challenge and won, giving us a reputation. Then I beat Kaiba like what four times in a row. Hah! He could not believe a girl beat him. Sexist pig. So he got jealous of Yugi and I for beating him and invited us for the Battle City tournament where we got the Egyptian God Cards. Yugi beat Marik( he was kinda hot!) and I beat another guy who had stolen this special card so Yugi and I got the Egyptian God Cards. I got The Winged Dragon of Rah(totally awesome name if you ask me) and the other special card called Ramses' Blade(apparently it was one of the lost God Cards. Whatever. The Card rocks) and Yugi got Slifer and Obelisk. Then I kicked Seto Kaiba's ass. Again. And was all set to beat Yugi. Ended up drawing with him which was ok I guess. So we ended up getting the title as king and queen if games. (Its kinda weird if you ask me cause isn't the king and queen supposed to be married? I'm not sure. Mental not to self: ask Rebecca about Monarchy when next see her. Actually cancel that. The clingy girl is seriously getting on my nerves, following Yugi everywhere and whining to him about why he wont go out with her. O I cant wait to see her face when she finds out about Tea and Yugi's relationship.) Yugi has actually grown so much. I mean before meeting the Pharaoh he was a midget and his voice hadn't even broken. He was 16!!! Then of course he shot up and now he's 19, deep voiced and could give Joey and Tristen a run for their money(if they had some) in terms of height and masculinity. I mean Yugi's finally grown some muscles. Not after much nagging of his little sister to do some bench pressing of course.

O yeah getting of track. After battle city, went to fight Noah and beat the little midget. So he nearly died and is trapped in a virtual world! That's no excuse for trying to blow us out of our minds and taking over our bodies. Ok so he turned out really nice in the end and Mokuba kept teasing me that Noah liked me. Yeah sure, a 18 year old kid stuck in the body of a 10 year old is going to go out with me. Delusional. Mokuba's really sweet though. Totally different from his brother. The arse-hole. Hey maybe I could get Mokuba and Rebecca together. OH MY GOSH! I'm a genius. O yeah, the story. After like 15 billion more adventures such as beating Darts (what kind of name is that) and Seigfried the freak with the pink hair who tried to kill Kaiba (not that I care what happens to Kaiba) Yugi and I got our reputations to go even higher. Then beating our ancient alter-egos and sending them back to rest in peace topped the cake off. Now I'm at the beach, leaning on Yugi shoulder and thinking about all that has happened. Am I getting old?

"Hey, I was thinking…" Mina said sitting up straight.

"That's a first." Joey laughed cheekily and cringed away when Mina gave him 'The Glare.' You don't take Mina lightly. Being a black belt in Karate, Tae Kwon Do and Judo seemed to make her a bit more dangerous than she looks. She has a mean backhand punch.

"Anyway, how come all the bad guys we fight have really weird names. I mean Darts, Seigfried, Noah, Marik…"

"Dunno… never thought about it I guess. Hah! Our lives can never get boring with all the stuff we have to do." Joey answered.

"Yeah, well a girl can get a migraine from all the thinking of the complicated names there are."

"That's why I try not to think about that."

"That explains why you're failing at school. You don't think. Ha!" 

"Hey! Just because you're the smartest behind Kaiba doesn't mean you can make fun of me."

"Kaiba's not usually there so it means that Mina is the smartest in our grade." Serenity chimed in.

"And you skipped a grade. That's why you're now in university in our class and not high school. Maybe Joey and Tristen should consider going back to high school." Tea snorted.

Joey gave them a cute little pout and turned his back to them. Suddenly he jumped up and started brushing the sand of him and neatening himself. The rest of the gang looked to where he was staring and saw Mai Valentine. She walked up to them and stared at Joey who mumbled a weak hello.

"Hey country boy. Hey you guys thought I'd join you." She said and sat down promptly by Mina. Joey rushed to her side and immediately fell over face first on the ground. So much for making a good impression. Joey had had a crush on Mai for ages and wanted to ask her out.

"She's to pretty for ya mate. Give it up." Tristen stage whispered in his ear loud enough for everybody to hear. Joey blushed tomato red and ducked his head down. Soon he joined in the conversation again with his stupid little comments that made everybody laugh.

Mina laid her head back onto the soft sand and sighed contently. Yugi looked down at her and smiled. He knew she loved the peace and quiet as much as he did. They both loved to just hang around with their friends and not have to worry about the fate of the world. Although, Yugi had to admit that Mina had a habit of getting into trouble and loving the trouble that she caused and got into. She was a feisty girl and loved to have fun. That's what drew lots of guys to her. Yugi was a protective brother just like any other but now more than any other time. Since what happened to her and Bandit Keith.

Mina lay on the sand and listened to the conversation that was taking place. Mai, Tea and Serenity were gossiping and Joey was being an idiot as usual. Everybody loved Joe. She had to admit though. She did have a crush on him once. And he actually was quite a good looking guy. I'm totally over him of course. Joe's a great guy and all but I have my own boyfriend now. Jordan's an awesome guy and totally hot. And I **think** Yugi likes him. You never know. He knows I wont get to close to any guy anyway. After what Keith did. I wont go close to any guy again. Other than Yugi, Tristan and Joe. Yugi and Joey looked out for Mina and decided that she would go out with the guys that they approved of. Not that she cared about the rule. She'd go out with who she wanted to. Anyway Yugi was generally nice and looked at the good side of the guys (most of the time) and Joey kind of didn't like any of the guys so it didn't really matter.

"Hey guys, it's getting late and we really got to get home." Tea yawned.

"No way! You can't be tired! It's only 7:15." Tristan laughed in disbelief.

"Well, **I** at least do some work such as going to dance rehearsals and lessons unlike **some** people who laze at home and watch TV. AND we have school tomorrow."

"Aww… Don't remind me." Tristan moaned.

"Wait, wait. You still go to school?" Mai asked in disbelief.

"Yeah… University. You don't go?" Yugi asked.

"Nup." She said proudly. "I'm earning a living doing dueling tournaments and some modeling. I've been to school once and that's enough. I'm not going to waste a few hundred bucks just to go into more detail of what little we had leant in high school."

"That's a very bleak out-take on life." Mina laughed while getting up and dusting herself off. She stretched a bit then stick her hand out to Yugi who grabbed it and used it to help himself up. He, in turn helped Tea up.

The gang headed down towards the car park where they had parked their vehicles which were parked side by side. Mina headed up to her motorcycle. Tristan had decided that she'd love a bike and all of them pitched in and got her one for her birthday. Mina kinda got a bit obsessed with them after that. This one was a black and red Harley. The original bike that the guys had got her. She loved it like her baby. Yugi and Tea got into Yugi's car while Serenity and Joey headed of to Joey's car.. Tristan got on his bike and Mai got into her car.

"Wait! Wait! Yugi Moto, Minako Moto, Joey Wheeler and Mai Valentine?" a voice sounded breathlessly behind them.

Yugi raised an impatient eyebrow to Mina and they both turned.

"Yes?"

"I have a package for you. Its an invitation to a new tournament. It is an event of a lifetime and you wouldn't want to miss it. Only invited duelist will be there so you will only be dueling the elite. All the information is in the package." A man said all in one breath. He handed Mina and Yugi the first packages and then Joey and Mai the next two packages. There was still one package in his arm. The man swiveled his head round as if looking for someone.

"Who's the last package for?" Yugi asked curiously.

"Seto Kaiba. Is he here?"

"No! Why would you think he was here?" Joey retorted sharply.

"Well I guess because I thought he was your friend and –"

"Well you thought wrong!" Joey answered harshly and jumped into the car. Everybody knew that Joey had never had a great relationship with Kaiba. Worse than Mina and Kaiba.

Mai sniffed and walked away while Mina gave the man an apologetic look. Yugi thanked him and the man turned around and jogged.

"What's in the package?" Tea asked Yugi as the roar of Mina and Tristan's bikes had died off and the others had driven away.

"I'm not too sure. I haven't opened it yet. Its about a new tournament."

"Are you going for it."

"I don't even know who the duel is hosted by so I won't be sure until I read it."

Yugi started up the engine and they cruised away to Tea's house.

"I'll see ya tomorrow ok?" Yugi smiled down at Tea.

"Yup!"

Yugi leant his head forwards and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Tea smiled when it ended and opened her door.

"Try not to stress out too much about the duel ok?" She added before closing the door.

Yugi smiled and walked back to the car. When he got home, he went straight to his room only to find his sister there waiting for him, all showered and changed, with her invitation package in her hand waiting for him to get back so they could open it together.


	2. Chapter 2: Jurassic Park

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Jurassic Park**_

**_A/N_ Next chapter. By the way Special thanks to Cries In Vain for review. And a nice review as well. I want even expecting any reviews let alone a nice one. Anyway the story, remember, is written for fun so no flames yer? Don't like it, don't review k?**

**Chapter Summary: **

Seto Kaiba sat on his desk massaging his forehead. Those corporate fools have been trying to take over Kaiba Corp for ages and are finally getting through. And to top that off there has been a huge news report about him being beaten yet again by Minako Moto. Being beaten by Yugi was bad enough but he was being beaten by his little sister who has one year younger than Kaiba and was a GIRL! Not that he had anything against girls. Some of them were hot. Take Minako for example. But he was the great Seto Kaiba. A girl couldn't beat him! Kaiba banged his desk with his fist making the neat set-up of the table move about.

"Mr. Kaiba?" a knock on his door was heard and a scared voice was heard seeping under the door.

"What is it!? I specifically told everyone that no-one was to disturb me!" he replied angrily.

"Well there is a man here who has something for you."

"Well bring it up here!"

"He wont give it to us. We were told that he was to hand it to you personally. We told him that you did not want to be disturbed and we even called Mr. Mokuba but he still would not give in." the voice quivered a bit.

Kaiba sighed and the scrape of his chair on the floor was followed by his footsteps to the door. He opened it and followed the scared maid down the extravagant double staircase and into the foyer of his mansion. The maid bobbed her head slightly and walked away quickly towards the kitchen.

Kaiba walked towards the informal sitting room where his little brother was trying to persuade the man to give him the package.

"My brother's really busy. He's not going to be happy if he is disturbed. Just give it to me and you can go on your way. Please?"

Kaiba cleared his throat and advanced forward.

"Oh hey big bro." Mokuba said and upon seeing Kaiba's face, turned and faced the man and whispered " I told you so."

"What do you want?" Kaiba asked while the man jumped up and walked towards him.

"This is a package for you from my employer. It is a new duelling tournament that only the elite are invited to. You would do well not to miss it and all the information is in the package."

Kaiba looked at the bulky brown paper package in his hands. He turned it over and took no notice of the man who was leaving the room.

"He came at 9:00 at night to give us a package, inviting us to go to a duelling tournament?" Mokuba asked quizzically. "Must be a pretty good tournament."

"Yeah, especially when Yugi and Minako Moto are invited." Kaiba said, reading the first few sentences of the letter that was in the package while sitting down on his black and silver sofa with a leather finish.

"Read it out! Please big bro?" Mokuba asked excitedly, settling down next to his bog brother and leaning on his shoulder to look at the letter.

"_Greetings to you Mr Seto Kaiba." _ Kaiba began reading in his deep, strong voice. "_You have been invited to the world's newest and best duelling tournament. This tournament is the future battle style of duelling and will revolutionise the world. Only a few selected people are called up such as yourself, Mr Moto and Miss Moto to experience this first hand. What you will experience on my secluded island will make your hair stand up. It may either be scary or exciting. Good or bad. Only you can choose your reaction. I have created a masterpiece. Who am I you ask and what is this amazing duelling system? All in due time. My name is Credo and I am the sole creator and master of this system. _

_To many people, the virtual holograms of our duelling cards are almost real but in my island, they are real. Instead of virtual holograms, the machine inside your package will make them real. _

Kaiba looked around and scoffed. "What is this, - "

" – Jurassic Park?" Mina snorted. She was lying on Yugi's bed reading out the letter. Yugi stuck his head out of his on-suite bathroom, his hair ruffled. "Keep reading." He told her.

"All right." Mina settled down and began to continue reading. '_When you scan your card into the machine it will immediately summon your monster in flesh and blood. That is why I have only chosen the elite of the duelling community. Not many will be able to handle the gruesome battles of their monsters being eaten and torn at or blown up. _

_Look in your package and pull out your summoning machine. This is called an 'Ankh' and you will have it in you at times. It will lock onto your arm when you put on and will take the shape of what you are on the inside. Do not ask how or why because that will not be told. Your duels will be broadcasted around the world and the aim of your battling is to make it to the castle at the end of the battle. Then the people who have made it there will fight. The person who is the winner at the end will get the grand prize.' _

Mina and Yugi looked at each other and then at each others respective packages. They cautiously opened up the flap of their packages and took out their 'Ankhs.' At first, both ankhs were the shape of an Egyptian 'ankh' (**_A/N. Its sort of like a cross with a circle at the end of it._**) It was a bright gold colour and had a latch-like think that would clip around your arm. Mina lifted it up and clipped it onto her left arm and the ankh glowed. Yugi lurched forward and tried to get the machine of her but it was latched on hard. The machine glowed brighter and brighter until Yugi and Mina had to cover their eyes. When they opened their eyes, the ankh on Mina's hand had gone. In its place was a thing that looked like a dragon. It was curled up longitudinally on her arm, its spiked tail curling around her fore-arm muscles and ending at the tip of her shoulder and the top of its black nose was touching the knuckle of her middle finger. It was pitch black except for its spikes and underbelly which was blood red. Its yellow eyes gleamed in the light. It looked sort of like a snake wound round her whole arm. It's grey wings jutted out of its back and when Mina touched them they sprung open showing a wide expanse of space where cards were meant to be placed.

Yugi then took his up and eagerly put it on his arm. When it latched onto the part above his wrist, the same thing happened. A bright light shone and when it had dimmed they saw that Yugi had a different shape on his arm. It was in the shape of the all-seeing eye that is on every millennium item. When he pressed the middle of the eye, it opened up to spaces where he could put his cards. Yugi turned to Mina.

"What - "

" – just happened?"

Kaiba had just put on his ankh and it had changed into a white and blue dragon. **_(A/N. It like Mina's except Mina's is a black and red dragon while Kaiba's is his trade-mark monster Blue Eyes White Dragon.) _** Mokuba was examining Kaiba's ankh carefully and marvelling at its work.

"How did this guy do that?" he asked excitedly.

"I don't know but I don't trust him." Kaiba replied before going on to read the rest of the letter.

'There is a plane waiting for you at the Japan International Airport at gate 2. You will be allowed to take a friend each - '

"Can I come big bro? Please? Please!?" Mokuba pleaded.

"I don't know if we are even going yet. Anyway let me continue." Kaiba said in the tone he only used for his brother. He loved his brother although he almost never let it show. He never ever used that tone with anybody else. Most of the time he just growled or talked sarcastically but when he talked with his little brother, he had a touch of humour and love in it.

' – _on the plane and you will be flown to a secluded airport where you will take a security boat to the island I have created just for this. Meet at the Japan International Airport, Gate 2 at 8:00pm on the 19th of March. My assistant Kimomo will meet you there and give you everything you need. All you need to do to verify that you are invited is shine the starting card that is in the package at her. _

_All of you will be there, I know it and I will see you at the end._

_Credo_

_Sole Creator and manager of Live Duel Island.'_

"A chance to beat Yugi and his sister at their own game. Nothing can be stronger than my blue eyes especially when it is going to come alive. Mokuba, start packing your bags. Kaiba announced.

"19th of March? That's in 5 days. That leaves us just enough time to arrange things with Grandpa, school, packing and arranging my strategy." Mina concluded.

"So you gonna go?"

"Defiantly. Like I'm gonna miss a chance to see my babies come alive. That and I can kick Kaiba's ass again."

Yugi laughed. "Alright. When we go to school tomorrow, we'll find Joey and the others and see whether they're coming or not. And seeing that we can take one friend each, that's the whole gang! I'll take Tea, you take Serenity, Joey will take Tristan and Mai can … well she can take who she wants."

" 'Kay. Night." Mina said pulling herself out of Yugi's bed and out into her room., There she settled into her own warm bed and closed her eyes. Sleep soon drifted into her and she was out like a light.

"Joey! Hey Joey! Wait up!" Mina called out impatiently. Joey turned and stopped waiting for her to catch up.

" 'Ello Moto! The others are already out at the usual spot in the food court. I thought I was going to be the last one there? What took you so long?"

"Professor McCillon kept us in with his usual monotone about the human anatomy again. What about you?"

"I had to finish off my paper about the history of the vitreus humor and how it was discovered."

"Ok. Wait how are you doing that now? Didn't we learn that in high school? Joey, we are now in university"

"Yeah, yeah I know. I decided to take an easy class so I could get a quick score."

Mina shook her head at him before they both joined the others outside.

" Sup you guys?"

"Talking about what we're gonna do at that tournament thing. All of them said they were coming except we still haven't got an answer from you, Joey." Tristan answered back.

"Yeah, I'm coming. I'm not going to lose this time to you though Yuge"

"Not expecting you to. Anyway, we're all going to meet at the Airport and head of together right?" Yugi administrated.

"Yup! Oh Hey! What did your ankh thingy's change into?" Mina asked curiously.

" A sword. And I talked to Mai this morning. Hers changed into a dream catcher sort of shape. Dunno why though. What 'bout you guys?" Joey inquired.

"A Black and Red Dragon"

"The Great Eye."

Just as they were about to go on a mad rush of students from all ages started to get up and file off.

"Hey, I'm gonna go back home and start packing cause I've got no classes for the rest of the day. I'll see you guys a bit later okay?" Mina called out while walking away.


	3. Chapter 3: In the Day, In The Night

_**Chapter 3**_

_**In the Day, In the Night**_

**_A/N:_ Again, special thanks to Cries In Vain and now also ****Magical Defenestration for review. I just realized two things yesterday night. One, I didn't put in a chapter summary for Chapter 2 and Two, this story is loosely based around Pride and Prejudice without even knowing it. Ha! Lol. I was watching Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightingly in it yesterday on DVD and I was thinking to myself "Hey Darcy is actually quite hot but I think Wickham and Bingley are pretty close too." Then it hit me. OMG Kaiba – obnoxious, Darcy – obnoxious. Kaiba – Mean and Stuck up. Darcy – mean and stuck up. The other part of the romantic plot which I WILL NOT reveal to you is also like Pride and Prejudice. I swear to god that I didn't mean it to be like that. Promise. Also if you guys like my writings I dunno if I had already said but I have an account on a sister website to fanfic called devils-best-friend and if you wanna read my stuff feel free to k? **

**Chapter Summary: _The gang + Kaiba and Mokuba go to airport, get on plane, go to the secret island and get attacked. Credo says its for a 'learning experience' to try and learn how to work the island. _**

**A/N Again the italics are the persons thoughts. And by the way the song in here is by Nelly Furtardo called Say It Right. **

'Final call for passengers boarding airline 316 Lufthansa to Cairo.'

Yugi and Mina entered the Japan International Airport and looked around. They were both wearing their usual get ups and behind them came Grandpa lugging a trolley filled with baggage. They swivelled their heads from side to side trying to find gate 2.

"Over there. Right next to the screaming maniac. Oh wait, that's Joey." Mina said without emotion.

The three of them quickly bustled there way to the gate where they said goodbye to grandpa and hello to Joey. They then entered the gate and found the whole gang waiting.

"Hey you guys!" Tea yelled and ran over to them. Everybody greeted them with the usual bright and perky hello and was responded to by a 'Hey! Whatcha up to?' by Yugi and a 'hi' by Mina.

"Mina, is something wrong?" Serenity asked.

Yugi shook his head. "She broke up with Jordan last night."

_Jordan's such an idiot! Yugi was right. _ Mina thought silently to herself. _Jordan was an complete and total dick and all he wanted from me was to get in my pants. The guy is –_

"The guy is a pig!" Yugi burst out angrily to Joey, voicing Mina's thoughts exactly.

"You called Wheeler a pig? Way to go, Yugi. Never thought you had the guts to tell him the truth. Although he seems more of like an ass to me." A deep voice sounded behind them.

Mina, Yugi and the gang turned around to see Seto Kaiba walking up from the gate entrance followed by a waving Mokuba.

"Hey guys!" Mokuba called out running up to them. Kaiba walked behind him slowly.

"It's a bad habit to eaves-drop Kaiba. And you're not wanted in this conversation so why don't you back off huh?" Joey snapped.

"Yeah? What is your problem? Can't you keep your humongous nose out of our bussiness for once or are you so desperate to be out friend that you have to tag along?" Mina glared. She then turned and gave Mokuba a hug.

"Well at least I can keep a relationship going for more than 2 weeks!" Kaiba snapped back.

"Doubt it! You can't even keep a friend let alone a girlfriend. What girl would put up with you? And the only 'friend' you have is your little brother who is 13! Sorry Mokuba." Mina retaliated.

Kaiba opened his mouth to shout back at her but at the same moment the call was made for boarding their plane. He glared at the group then gave his death glare to Mina and walked on the boarding platform with Mokuba bouncing after him. The rest of the gang let out a breath that they didn't know they had been holding. God, those two can really go at it. They gathered up their bags and boarded the plane. The plane was a private jet that had first class seats in two rows and many other luxurious effects. Yugi took a seat next to Tea, Serenity next to Tristen and Mai next to Joey. Mina looked around and found a perfect little corner for her to sit in right next to the window. She dumped her bags in the compartment, shoved on some earphones and clicked a few buttons. Music started blaring in her ears just as the plane's engines started up. Mina looked out of the window. She had always loved flying. The beautiful skyline in the morning and the seashell blue of when they flew over the clouds. But Mina especially loved this time, when the sky was turning into a chalky grey and moving towards the twilight sky. It was sort of magical to her and she stared out into the slowly shrinking world. Mina leant back and let the music wash over her.

In the day, in the night 

_Say it right, say it all._

_You either got it ,Or you don't,_

_You either stand or you fall._

_When you will is broken_

_When it slips from you hand_

_When there's no time for joking,_

_There's a hole in the plan._

_**Oh you don't mean nothing at all to me.**_

_**No you don't mean nothing at all to me.**_

_**But you've got what it takes to set me free.**_

_**Oh you could mean everything to me.**_

_I could say that I'm not_

_As alone as I thought._

_I could say that I don't_

_Love the light and the dark._

_I could say that I don't_

_Know that I am alive._

_And I'll love what I feel._

_I could show you tonight._

_**Oh you don't mean nothing at all to me.**_

_**No you don't mean nothing at all to me.**_

_**But you've got what it takes to set me free.**_

_**Oh you could mean everything to me.**_

_From my hands, I could give you _

_Something, that I made._

_From my mouth I could sing you_

_Another brick that I layed._

_From my body I could show you_

_A place God knows._

_You should know this place is holy_

_Do you really want to go? _

_**Oh you don't mean nothing at all to me.**_

_**No you don't mean nothing at all to me.**_

_**But you've got what it takes to set me free.**_

_**Oh you could mean everything to me.**_

_**Oh you don't mean nothing at all to me.**_

_**No you don't mean nothing at all to me.**_

_**But you've got what it takes to set me free.**_

_**Oh you could mean everything to me.**_

Mina lifted a delicate finger up to her eye and wiped away a single tear. _'I really did like Jordan but why am I kidding myself. Why cant I feel like the song says about anybody?' _she asked herself already knowing the answer. _ 'Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to? You know its Bandit Keith. Its been 3 years and you still haven't been able to rid you mind of him. He's always there, lurking in the darkness. He will always be there until you find someone you really love that will help you get rid of him.' _Mina silently leant her head against the window and watched the lights of the stars go by, drifting of into a sleep.

Mina woke a few hours later to a dark aeroplane except for a small reading light that was on a little behind her to the right. She yawned and stretched and got up. The hallway to the bathroom was dark and Mina could hardly see where she was going. Suddenly she thumped into a solid wall of warm muscle that was suddenly moving up and down like a someone taking a deep breath. She looked up to see the piercing blue eyes of Seto Kaiba staring down at her. Kaiba was tall. Mina's head fit snugly under his chin in a very comfortable spot. They both realised how they were standing and jumped back. Mina mumbled a low sorry and stepped into the bathroom, looking the door and breathing in deeply. It wouldn't have been so bad of she hadn't just dreamt about that same man. She couldn't remember the dream but all she knew was the Seto Kaiba was in it.

Seto Kaiba felt something wack into his chest. He instinctively laid his hand on the persons back to stop them from falling over. The person had put her hands up onto his chest to block the impact at the last moment. He could feel the warm pressure of her hands on his chest through his clothes. Kaiba looked down to see who this was and drew in his breath. It was Minako Moto who had her hands on his chest and who he had his arms around. They stared at each other for a few seconds, her deep brown eyes reflecting the light into his icy blue ones making her eyes sparkle. They both jumped back at the same time as if touching something horrible. She mumbled a sorry and ran into the bathroom. Kaiba had never really liked the bathrooms on these types of planes. They were so confined. He thought that his bathroom on his private jet was much more comfortable and spacious. Kaiba took a walk around the jet to stretch his legs and when he got back to his seat he noticed that Mina was curled up in a ball on her seat. Like a cat. She was shivering though. He looked at her for a minute and then promptly turned of his light. He also clicked another button.

"You called sir?" a stewardess asked him softly.

"Turn down the air-conditioning in the plane. Its getting a little chilly." He said before closing his eyes. The stewardess went of and did what she was told.

Mina stopped shivering.

As daylight crept into the plane, the passengers awoke to the sight of clear seas and a green island.

"So this is Live Duel Island, Credo 'masterpiece.'" Mina said aloud.

"It really is quite beautiful." Tea sighed.

"Yeah and there's a beach and everything." Serenity added.

"Excuse me passengers. It is my pleasure to say that we will be landing in Live Duel airport in approximately 10 minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts and put your seats up right." A stewardess' voice sounded over their chatter.

The plane began its decent.

"I never really liked the landings." Tea murmured before shutting her eyes and grabbing Yugi's hand. Yugi squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Why? I love the landings and the take offs. They're the best part. It like a roller-coaster at a theme park." Mina called out from her seat in the corner.

"Yeah… don't like them either."

Kaiba snorted and Mokuba reassured Tea. '_How did Mokuba turn out the way he is when his brother is everything the opposite. Mokuba's sweet. Kaiba's annoying. Mokuba's happy. Kaiba's always grumpy and serious. Mokuba's a pretty good looking kid. Kaiba's an – ok maybe not that point but everything else Kaiba is completely the opposite. Maybe on the outside. Ok, ok stop.' _Mina growled to herself.

The plane landed with no problems and Tea unhooked her hand from Yugi's and jumped out of her seat, ready to get of this horror flight. The rest of them got of at their leisure, Yugi shaking his hand to get the blood flowing again. Mina looked at him and laughed. He shook his head and grabbed her baggage along with his and went outside. Mina ran after him and threw her arm around his shoulder and proceeded to have a long chat with him about anything that came into her head just like they normally did. When they got to the airport lobby a lady came to greet them.

"Hello. My name is Kimomo and I am here to take you to the first destination where you will meet Mr. Credo. You are the last people to arrive so we are all waiting for you. Please this way onto the car and leave your baggage with the porter." She said leading them towards the car. The gang piled up into the jeep that was there.

As the drive started up, they all pressed there faces up to the windows, Mokuba sitting on Mina's lap to get a better view. The trees as far as the eye could see and it seemed like they would reach the sky. The track that the cars were driving on was dusty and windy as the crawled up the steep slope. The fresh smell of earth after a rain shower seeped through the cracks in the windows making everybody inhale deeply at the lovely smell. Only Kaiba seemed not moved by the beauty of the land. Suddenly Mai spotted the trees moving violently back and forth as if something huge was pushing them. She pointed it out to the others and they put the question forth to Kimomo.

"That must be one of the monsters that are in the island."

"What? I thought the only monsters that would be around were the ones that we call out from our ankhs." Joey exclaimed.

"No, no. This island is full of wild duel monsters and so you must watch you back where ever you go for you get beaten by a dualist or one of the monsters. You should probably watch yourself especially at night." Kimomo warned.

Tea instinctively winded up all the windows and Mai snorted softly "Told you its Jurassic Park." Kaiba nodded in agreement.

The jeep pulled up a sharp turn and right in front of them loomed a great castle like structure. The grey stoned building was built like one of the old churches, tall and imposing. It was about 5 stories up from the floor to its steeple. The gang awed at the sight. They collected their bags and followed Kimomo inside. Inside was even grander. There was a beautiful stained glass window that covered nearly one wall which was about almost all the light in the old building. It was a picture of a man dying. A pool of blood was at his feet and a monster was above and below him, grinning maliciously. The rest of it was dark and the whole thing gave Mina shivers. She inched closer to Yugi and saw that Tea and Serenity had done so as well. Mokuba was pressed to Kaiba's side. They walked forward, put their bags in a corner and walked forward a bit more into the dim light. Then they saw the people. There were about 100 elite dualists from around the world and all were here. Americans, Australians, Africans and British. Mina looked around and thought she saw a familiar face under a hooded cloak. She grabbed Yugi's hand and held it hard. Yugi looked round and saw him too. '_Bandit Keith. I cannot believe he is here. We must stay away from him least he comes after Mina again. I will NOT allow that.' _ Yugi held Mina close reassuringly and the others gave them strange looks. Yugi mouthed to them the name of the evil man that had hurt Mina and the gang nodded and kept a look out. Seto Kaiba and Mokuba were out of it though. They had no idea who this Bandit Keith was and why everybody else was so tense when his name was said. Just as Mokuba started to ask about him, a voice rose above all the chatter.

Everybody looked up to what was like the stage or a big platform in the middle of the marble floor. There stood Credo, the man who created all of this. He was tall and had a mass of bright blue hair which was spiked up in the most unusual way. He wore a white suit with a black shirt underneath it and complementing it all was his tie which was the same colour as his hair. Mina looked around at Yugi and whispered

"Like I said, why is it that all the bad guys have weird coloured hair?"

"How do you know he's a bad guy?" Yugi murmured back.

"I don't. I just - "

"Greetings my dualists. I hope you have had a pleasant flight. Welcome to my island where virtually becomes reality. Literally. I have brought you to this place to explain a few things before I send you on your journey." Credo's voice was soft and smooth but it resonated around the chamber like an echo. "First of all, you must know that this is not the starting point of your journey. This is mainly the practice spot. Where you will start your journey is called the Safe House. It is called that because no duel monster can enter its boundaries and so you will have a safe nights sleep tonight. The next morning at 9:23 am sharp, the safe house will disappear and then you will be alone in the island with no protection. You will get a pack each and in there you will put your clothes and your supplies for the next few days. Every so often you will come across a little table in the woods with one of my helpers there. This is where you can get more supplies. You do this through the dense forest until you stumble upon my castle which is in the middle of a maze. To get through the maze, you will have to prove yourselves worthy by fighting many tough, difficult and dangerous monsters. Not many of you will make it through but those who do will get two nights of safe and restful sleep and rests until the day comes where we will have the final duels to see who is the one too battle me. The one who wins gets the ultimate prize."

"This is great but how the hell do you use these things." Someone yelled out. Many people joined in agreeing.

"Patience is one thing that will get you through here my friends. Instead of showing you, I have a much better way. I - "

Credo was cut of by a roar that erupted from behind him. Suddenly a Flame Cerberus bounded into the room, about as double the size of a normal lion. It was followed by a swarm of Feral Imps and Kaiser Warriors. Everybody roared to life running around in either panic or adrenaline for the first fight. Suddenly everything stopped. Everybody turned deathly silent as the heard a thump and then another one, steady pounds of a giant monster. Suddenly the loud roar erupted again and this time everybody saw the mouth that it came out from. It was Black Tyranno and it was about as big as the whole building in itself. Because it could not fir through the door, it proceeded to knock down the wall with its massive body mass and continued straight to the dualists. The people all around dropped what they had and ran, a lot of them looking around for Credo. But he was not there.

His voice resonated around the chamber, this time coming from speakers. "Use your ankhs. Scan a card in it and begin the fight. Your journey begins now."

"What did I tell you. Jurassic Park! A t-rex comes stomping into the building to kill all of us. God! What is this to him, some kind of joke? Time to test this baby out!" Mina cried over the scared screams of the fleeing people.

She activated her dragon and its eyes glowed yellow while its wings spread out to full length. She then took out her favourite card and flicked it in front of the dragon's eyes. It flashed and the card flew into one of the wing slots. Suddenly a bright light came about and in front of them flew Mina's favourite card. The Fallen Angel. It was an beautiful blonde angel dressed in black with belts hanging around her waist holding many swords and knives. She had 8 black wings spreading out, their tips glowing. Fallen Angel rose into the air and whipped out two swords. She turned around looked at Mina, who nodded her head and Fallen Angel flew at rapid speed towards the proceeding monsters. Joey and Mai laughed with adrenaline and called upon their monsters, Flame Swordsman and the three Harpy Ladies to come out and assist Fallen Angel. Yugi then summoned Dark Magician and Kaiba followed him with his Blue Eyes White Dragon. The monsters fought with much fury and the gang dashed around calling out moves and orders to their specific monsters.

Mina looked around wildly. She had gotten separated from the group. She could spot Yugi further down with his Dark Magician dealing with a particularly nasty Feral Imp. Mina heard got distracted for a while and turned her back. Suddenly she heard a loud thump behind her and she whipped around to see that the Dark Tyranno had come up behind her. Mina screamed and jumped to the side. She called for Fallen Angel but her chosen friend was too busy covering her own back by as mounds of Kaiser Warriors and Feral Imps threw themselves at her. Mina had no time to call up another monster as the Dark Tyranno had focused its sights on her and would not let its prey go. It leant its head forward and snapped. Mina dived to the right and it missed her by an inch.

A high-pitched scream filled the air. Seto Kaiba turned and saw Mina staring into the face of the Dark Tyranno, her monster too far away to help and her friends separated from her. He knew she was a master at martial arts but that would be no help at all against a 5 story tall dinosaur. He yelled to Mokuba to stay with Blue Eyes and yelled out to Blue Eyes to take care of Mokuba, hoping it would understand. Apparently it did for it moved closer to the little boy and picked it up in its mouth placing it in the folds of it wings where he would not get hurt. Kaiba gave a thank you look and dashed towards Mina. As much as he hated the girl, he could not let her die. He wasn't that bad no matter what the others thought. He watched as Mina dived to the side, barely missing the Tyranno's deadly teeth and then vaulting back upright using a summersault in mid-air. She continued to run but the Tyranno's feet were larger and it was right next to her in a matter of seconds.

Mina looked up to see that the Tyranno had cut her off. She turned her head wildly looking for a place to escape but to no avail. The Tyranno charged towards her, mouth open ready to chop down on its sweet prey. Just as the Tyranno snapped at her, Mina was thrown back by a large force and landed on a soft (well softer then the concrete) mass who gave a loud groan as he hit his back on the concrete pillar. Mina craned her head back to see Seto Kaiba, with his eyes closed, groaning. His hands were still around her waist where he grabbed her to safety. She quickly pried open his hands and saw that the Tyranno was coming back. She touched her hand onto Kaiba's face urging him to open his eyes.

"Wake up, wake up! Please Kaiba. Kaiba? Kaiba hurry." Mina looked back to see the Tyranno picking up speed and nearly reaching them. "Seto!!!!" she screamed.

Kaiba's blue eyes snapped open and they both quickly jumped out of the way in time. The Tyranno turned around and was about to come back at them when a white blast came hurling from the left and a black blast from the right. They turned to see Blue Eyes White Dragon and Fallen Angel on either side if the Tyranno. Blue Eyes set Mokuba down next to Kaiba, gave him an acknowledging nod and flew back up to meet the giant dinosaur. Blue Eyes was about the height of a two story building and Fallen Angel, about 7 foot. Fallen Angel turned around and winked at Mina before helping Blue Eyes.

Mina concentrated on the battle, yelling out manoeuvres and moves that the two monsters could use while Kaiba concentrated on what had just happened just minutes before that. He had just saved Minako Moto's life by pulling her to safety and twisting round in time so that he would hit the concrete wall and she wouldn't. '_Last time I'm doing that. Even if it is to save someone's life.'_ Then he had hurt his back and had laid there for a while with his eyes closed, her body still lying on him although squirming a bit more. She had then gotten out of his grip and laid a soft, warm hand on his cheek and urged him to get up. '_That parts not so weird.' _ She had called him Seto. _'Ok that's the weird part. Definitely.' _ Finally the battle was over and the Dark Tyranno collapsed to the ground and drew its last haggard breath. Mina breathed a sigh of relief and ran up to Fallen Angel. Yugi and the rest of the gang came up to her and asked her if she was all right.

"We saw you were in trouble but we couldn't get there in time! Are you ok?" Serenity asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Mina answered back.

Mina turned and faced Kaiba who was checking Mokuba and talking to Blue Eyes.

'_You saved my life.' _


	4. Chapter 4: See You Back At The Cabin!

_**Chapter 4**_

_**See you back at the Cabin! P**_

Thank you very much again to my beautiful reviewers. Glad u liked it. I will try to fix it up a bit more. I know that you might be a bit confused about Bandit Keith and stuff but you'll find out later.

**Chapter Summary: **_**The gang head of to the Safe House after the battle and freshen up. Something happens between K and M when they go to the Safe House and it gets them into a very awkward moment resulting in Mina deciding that she was going to make Kaiba feel even more awkward. But after she kills Joey and Tristan. . **_

Seto Kaiba's icy eyes looked back to see Minako's deep chocolate brown eyes boring into him. He stood up slowly, still not taking his eyes off her and hers off him. He stared at her and then changed his expression into a glare. '_I don't want her thinking I'm going soft. Next she'll be asking me for favours. I don't do favours.' _ Mina looked away and Kaiba smirked. He thanked Blue Eyes and sent him back into his card. He straightened his black trench coat which was almost exactly like the one he wore in Dualist Kingdom complete down to the leather straps around his muscular arms, the metal cuffs around his wrist and the metal studs in his high collar. His trench coat was black and underneath it he wore a white shirt with a black tie. The straps around his forearms were also white completing the formidable look which was Seto Kaiba. His brown hair was pushed back due to the sweat and dirt that was in it. _ 'I gotta straighten myself up. I look almost like Wheeler. Almost.' _

Mina looked away from Kaiba's death glare and sighed. '_Hmm. I should have known. An ass hole is always and ass hole. Never gonna change. At least I know he has a heart. Here I am thinking that the only way I'm ever going to find out if there is something beating in that body of his is to tackle him to the ground and press my ear to where the heart is supposed to be. Or I could throw a knife into the spot and if he dies, then I would know he has a heart. But I prefer what he did much better than any of these options. I don't have to embarrass myself then.' _ She turned and looked at herself a metal framing that had fallen from somewhere on the ceiling when the Dark Tyranno crashed in. She was a mess. Her black hair was covered in dirt and blood from the monsters that Fallen Angel has killed. The red from the blood blended in with the red streaks in her hair. Her face was streaked with mud and grit and her cotton sweater that she wore was torn and ripped all down the middle exposing her pink tank-top underneath. That was also ripped but luckily not in very exposing places. Her black jeans had done her well in the fight and no damage was done to them other than the fact that they were the home to millions of micro-organisms that had hitchhiked on the Tyranno's back onto Mina. Mina looked down at her ruined black and white converse shoes. '_Note to self. Running up and down a ruined building being chased by a dinosaur will most probably destroy shoes.'_

"Hey, come on. The car is outside waiting for us. It taking us to the safe house." Yugi tapped her on the shoulder.

"Wonder how safe it actually is." Joey muttered under his breath.

"Agreed to the full." Mina snarled. She ran over to a pile of rubble where their luggage was once under. She started digging through it until she found their stuff.

"Mai" She called out, tossing Mai's bag to her.

"Joey."

"Serenity."

"Tristan."

"Tea"

"Put Tea's bag next to ours. I'll carry 'em. She's hurt her foot and cant walk properly so I'm gonna carry her." Yugi called out.

"It's ok. I can manage all three bags. You just carry Tea." Mina replied back. "Hold up, there are more bags here."

She pulled out the last two bags and read the tags.

"Oi! Kaiba! Catch!" She yelled out tossing his bag as hard as she could at his head. Kaiba looked around in surprise and caught the flying bag neatly with two hands. Mina then walked over to them and handed his bag to him. She ruffled his hair and winked at him before hoisting the bags onto herself and walking out of the destroyed building.

"Whoa! No way!" Joey exclaimed craning his neck to the side trying to get all this in.

The cars had taken them into a remote, unrecognisable part of the jungle and there stood a sight that the gang had all longed for. About 20 log cabins were situated in a clear patch surrounded by trees. In the middle of all this was a pond and benches around it. The birds were singing and the low murmur of hundreds of voices broke the silent tranquillity of the safe house. The gang joined the hoards of people that were already there that had fled from the battle sight before and after the Tyranno charged in. The low murmur dulled down to a silent hiss as Credo's form stepped up onto the top step of one of the cabins.

"Welcome to the safe house. A safe haven for the tired dualist. But only until 9:23 am as you recall me saying. But until then, no monster will disturb your well-earned rest. At the front of the cabins, you will see a roster for where you will be sleeping. The shower blocks are over yonder. They are actually very well furbished and nothing like an ordinary camp's bathrooms. Well take care and enjoy. May the nest dualist prevail. Oh and by the way, tomorrow morning, a selection of weapons will be brought to each person. I advise you that you should have a weapon handy at all times, even if it is a simple knife. Just in case."

Credo stepped down from the cabin step, entered his car and drove away up the hill until they could no longer see the dusty form at the horizon. The gang walked up to the cabins and Tristan read out the roster.

"Yugi Moto, Minako Moto, Joey Wheeler, Serenity Wheeler, Tea Gardiner, Tristan Taylor and Mai Valentine in Cabin 8 along with Seto Kaiba and Mokuba Kaiba."

Joey groaned and trudged of to the cabin followed by a very disgruntled Mina talking to Mai, Tristan leading Serenity along and last Yugi carrying Tea. They stepped inside the cabin and immediately their moods brightened. The inside of the cabin was bright and well furnished. The large log cabin was only a one room house but it was so charming the gang didn't care. There were 9 beds spread out comfortably at different angles and a shelf and bedside table next to each one to keep their stuff in.

"My, my, my. Isn't this cosy." Kaiba sneered as he walked inside.

"I like it, big bro." Mokuba told him following his big brother inside.

"Yeah, your little brother likes it, why cant you like it too? Oh wait I forgot, you're a stuck up rich brat and you're brother isn't. That's why." Mina snapped at Kaiba.

"I bags this bed!" Mokuba called bounding away to one of the beds.

"I bags that one!" Mina squealed following in his lead. She dived on one of the beds near Mokuba and the rest followed suit calling their own beds and unpacking their stuff in it. All except for Kaiba. He was walking around slowly, examining different things around the place. He spotted a table by the side, covered by a white cloth and smelt something heavenly. He quickly walked over to the table and whipped of the cloth. Before him lay a sight to behold. Food. The smell of it wafted over to where the gang were sitting laughing. The laughter stopped and sniffs could be heard.

"Kaiba, you saved my life so now I'm going to save yours." Mina called out eyeing Joey and Tristan's faces.

"What the hell do you mean?" he called back.

"I would move out of the way if I were you. I wouldn't want to be in the way of food when Joe and Tristan are hungry.

A shout echoed around the room and Joey and Tristan dashed for the food table. Kaiba just got out of the way in time muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "."

The rest of the gang including Kaiba grabbed plates after the two boys and settled down in their beds where a conversation concerning what would happen the next day started up. Kaiba sat there listening and fiddling with his ankh until announced to Mokuba that he was going to go for a walk. Then the talk continued until Mina finally cracked.

"That's it. Can't take it any more. I have to have a shower and change! Now! I smell so bad I'm convulsing myself and it really uncomfortable sitting in ripped clothes." She announced.

Mina rummaged in her bag until she found her pyjamas. She then grabbed a towel that was stocked in her shelf. She jumped of her bed and headed of to the shower blocks.

"Mina's been in the shower for 10 mins. Maybe we should go pay her a visit." Joey whispered to Tristan. Tristan grinned evilly and both boys crept of to the shower blocks.

The shower block was actually very fancy for an outdoor house like this. When the boys entered, they were greeted with the sight of a luxurious bathroom filled with sinks and benches and shelves. They spotted Mina's clothes, dirty and clean, in on eof the shelves and the grinned. Tristan stuck his head round to the next room where the showers were to make sure that Mina was still in the shower. He turned round to Joey and nodded and both boys grabbed her clothes and ran back to the cabin.

Mina had washed her hair thoroughly thrice and so the gleam in her hair was back and the blood and dirt from her body and hair washed down the drain making a disgusting colour. She stepped out from the shower and grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her body like a dress. It was long enough so that it covered her legs up to mid-thigh. She tucked the end of the towel into the fold so that her hands here entirely free to move with out the towel falling. She walked out to the changing room to grab her clothes and found that they were gone. In its place was a note.

See you back at the cabin! P 

'_Joey!' _Mina growled to herself. _'Oh he is so dead. So, so dead! Even my slippers are gone! Arseholes!'_

Mina stuck her head round the corner of the door and tried to calculate how many people would see her. Her cabin was round to the right and then there was another sharp turn to the left and then a long run to safety. No one was about so she was fairly confidant that no one would see her but she was taking no chances.

Seto Kaiba paced around the woods thinking. About nothing in particular. Just thinking. He did this a lot at home. He would sit on his balcony and star at the stars. Thinking. He pulled of his black trench coat and undid his leather straps on his arms and tucked it in the pocket of his trench coat. He walked to the front of the cabin and placed them there before heading of again in a completely random direction. '_Its getting kind of hot.'_ He swivelled his head to make sure no one was out before he undid his tie and let it hang on his over his neck. He undid his top 5 buttons exposing the top half of his body to the cool breeze that was coming in. Seto Kaiba liked his privacy.

He strolled slowly in a direction that he didn't know and drank in the feel of the wind against his chest and took in the smell of the forest. _'Wait, that smell doesn't belong here.'_ He lifted up his nose and sniffed again. A strong smell of artificial lavender wafted into his nose. He walked forward slowly and turned a corner. There, he saw something that he hadn't seen. Ever. The great Seto Kaiba was somewhat lost for words. He had just stumbled across Minako Moto creeping across the field towards him with nothing but a towel on. Her black and red hair glistened in the moonlight and the beige towel stood out against her tan skin. Her hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of darkness. Seto Kaiba stood there staring. '_Why the hell is she just wearing a towel? And why is she creeping like that? , she's coming towards me.'_

Mina crept quickly towards the corner where she would be able to hide behind a cabin for a while before making the mad dash towards the cabin and killing Joey. She turned the corner and leant back on the cabin, breathing in a deep breath. Suddenly, she heard something moving to her right, quite close. She turned to see Seto Kaiba staring at her in a very odd way. A face that sorta said 'are you crazy?' She turned to explain but the words got stuck in her throat. Seto Kaiba was standing in front of her with his top shirt buttons undone. It was wasn't fully undone but it was open enough to see his strong neck merging into a chiselled chest. His chest glittered with droplets of sweat in the moonlight. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and he was holding his shirt in an uncomfortable way at the collar, unknowingly opening up his shirt a bit more allowing Mina to see a bit more of his muscly chest. Mina went a bit weak at the knees and she mentally slapped herself. '_ What the hell do you think you're doing. You can't feel that with Seto Kaiba. You can't! Although, my god he looks really good. Really really good. When does he have the time to work out? Wait stop.' _

"It's not that hot Moto, or are you tired of what little attention you're getting with Wheeler and Shark-boy and have decided to go out naked for all of the dualists to see so they can stare?" Kaiba had obviously gotten over his shock.

'_The ass hole! Wait I'll play his game then. Let the teasing begin.' _ Mina thought before batting her eyelids at Kaiba. "You were staring, so why would you care. I thought you were trying to burn a hole in the towel so you could have a better view." She giggled inwardly as she saw Kaiba fighting a blush that was creeping up on his face.

They stared at each other for a second before Mina brought her eyes down to her feet.

"Um… I just wanna say, while we're here alone. Um… Thanks for saving me back then. You saved my life and I guess. I guess, I'm really grateful to you for coming out of your thick shell of arrogance and helping me." Mina mumbled before her words got stronger.

"Can't you thank me without insulting me? What the hell goes on in that mind of yours?"

"What sort of answer are you expecting Kaiba. I was trying to say thanks and you go and yell at me again. Well, a lot more stuff goes around in my mind than in yours and the thought that was going round when I said sorry was 'maybe he saved me just to feel me up.'" Mina retorted before dashing off to the cabin.

Kaiba stood there for a few minutes more and then walked slowly towards the cabin.

Kaiba entered the cabin to a scene of turmoil. Mina was back in her pyjamas and was now proceeding to beat up Joey and Tristan for taking her clothes while Yugi was yelling at the three of them to stop while Mokuba and Mai were yelling at Mina to finish them of. Tea and Serenity laid in their beds shaking their heads.

"Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!" Joey screamed out.

"Ok, ok stop! We're sorry! Sorry!" Tristan yelled.

The three of them collapsed on the floor laughing and Kaiba glared at them before grabbing his clothes and going out again for a shower. He needed to clear his mind.

When Kaiba got back from his shower (undisturbed by the way) he found that the cabin was now in a peaceful mood, each one of the people in it doing something quietly. Yugi was reading a book while Serenity and Tea were gossiping about one thing or another. Joey and Tristan were figuring out their duelling strategies and Mina, Mai and Mokuba were sitting on Mokuba's bed playing with a set of cards that Mai had found in one of the drawers.

Kaiba lay back on his bed, his t-shirt and loose pants serving him well as temporary pyjamas. He listened into the card game which was only a bed away from him. They were teaching Mokuba how to play poker. Kaiba frowned.

"I do not want you to be teaching my brother methods of gambling let alone teaching him at all." He growled.

"Calm down Kaiba. Geez let the kid have a little fun." Mina retorted and Kaiba growled and leant back on his pillow.

Mina grinned and winked at Mai. Mai giggled.

Mina started singing a well known song while dealing out the cards to Mokuba and Mai.

"_My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard._

_They're like 'its better than yours.'_

_Damn right, its better than yours,_

_I could teach you but I have to charge."_

Mai started in as well and Joey and Tristan cracked up. Mina turned her head to see if Kaiba's reaction was what she wanted it to be and it was. Oh it was. His face had gone to a deep shade of pink as he remembered what he saw just this evening.

The two girls sang the song all the way through the last game and finally when they had finished Mai slipped of Mokuba's bed and into her own. Mina leant forward and said goodnight to Mokuba before heading of to her bed, her red pyjamas brushing the floor as she went past. She slipped under her covers and closed her eyes. Yugi switched of the lights eventually when he had finished reading and by that time almost everybody was asleep. Kaiba lay in his bed and turned his head in the direction Mina's bed was.

'_I really hate that girl. I really really do.' _ And he fell asleep wondering if he really meant it.

**A/N: **_**Hi! Um I was just wondering if I was moving Seto's and Mina's relashionship too fast. I don't think so but I was wondering what you guys think. K thankx hope u enjoy this and please review ok? Thanx!**_


	5. Chapter 5: Likeness

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Likeness**_

**A/N: This chapter might be a tiny bit gory for some people. There's a mention of guts and stuff but I don't know how gory some people think gory is. Its just explaining what the weapons can do. Mina's weapon's description is actually quite gross for the squeamish. I mean I don't find it bad but some might, so I'm just giving a quick warning. Anyway Thanks soooo much to Magic Defenestration (I think that's how you spell it.) for reviewing!!! I hope you like it. Also, I might be changing the summary so you guys might want to put the story on Story Alert so you'll know when I update. Anyway thanks again!**

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"Argh…" Mina moaned.

"Get up! Its 7:45! We have to get ready to leave. Credo's assistant Kimomo is going around telling people what to do to pack and she'll be coming to us at about 8:15. Get ready and change and stuff." Yugi shook her.

Mina groaned again into her pillow and covered her head. Yugi sighed. All around the cabin, the gang, Seto and Mokuba were getting ready to leave. Yugi looked around and nodded.

"She's always like this in the morning. I'm going to have to do this Mina. Its your own fault." He grinned before stepping away, his place taken up by Joey, Tristan and Mokuba.

"One. Two. Three!" The three boys yelled out in unison while pushing Mina of the side of the bed. She landed with a thump on the ground.

"Brace yourselves." Mai warned Serenity and Tea,

"WHAT THE HELL!" Mina was up and steaming.

"We're sorry! Yugi asked us to do it!" Joey told her, cowering in the corner.

"Oh! Blame me now!" Yugi retorted back to him.

A friendly argument started up between the two and Mina shook her head. She grabbed some clothes out of her bag and headed to the shower blocks. On her way out of the cabin, she passed Kaiba and gave him a dirty look. He, in turn gave her a glare.

Mina took a shower, this time remembering to lock her clothes up with her. She walked back into the cabin looking and feeling refreshed. Kaiba looked up from his packing to see Mina walk in. She was dressed in her usual fashion, black and red hair tied up in a high ponytail, swishing back and forth when she walked. She wore her black singlet top with the dragon on it, showing her navel, her usual tight black mini skirt, studded belts and leather boots. It was too hot to wear her studded leather jacket but it was packed up and ready to go with her wherever she went. To top the look of, she wore a black choker at her neck and her black and red dragon ankh was curled up on the whole length of her bare arm. '_She's back to her usual looks I see. Yesterday she wore jeans and a t-shirt. Wonder which one is better.' _Kaiba commented quietly. Everybody else was changed and ready as well. Yugi in his usual blue and black get-up, Tristan in his brown jacket, Joey in his green one. Mai had her purple and white outfit on and Tea and Serenity opted to wear jeans and pretty tops. Kaiba wore his usual outfit as well. A black long sleeved turtle neck and black pants covered by his white trench-coat. Leather straps fitted around his arm and leg muscles nicely and a long metal cuff was placed around his left wrist going up to a bit lower than his elbow. On his right wrist was his own dragon ankh also coiled round like a snake up to his shoulder. '_Doesn't he ever get hot in those? My god, that's what you call showing off. Even when its way to hot to wear a light jumper, he goes and wears a turtle neck with a trench coat. Just to be big and powerful.' _Mina snorted to herself

At that moment, the door opened revealing 3 people, one lady and two men. They stepped in and closed the door. They bowed slightly and the gang bowed back except for Kaiba who nodded his head curtly. The woman, Kimomo, nodded to the two men who stood at the door waiting for her. She walked into the middle of the room.

"Good Morning. Nice to meet you again. My name is Kimomo and these are my assistants. No doubt you have heard from others that I am here to advise you on what to pack on your journey. Make sure you listen carefully as this is the only time you will be told. You will not be taking your suitcases with you for that is obviously too difficult and unpractical to carry them around with you while you are fighting and dueling. So you will each be given a bag-"

She motioned to the man on her right hand side who walked forward and handed out a bag to each person. Each one was a black bag with a green trimming around it. It looked like it could hold 6 pieces of clothing and about 2 days provisions and nothing much more. Yugi looked at them quizzically.

"This bag will be where you pack your clothes. You will only need what you are wearing today, some warm items to keep you out of the nights chill and a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Along with your undergarments, that is all you should bring. The rest of the space must be used up for the food and provisions. Each person will carry their own provisions, which are right here for you on the table. Every third morning, all around, there will be Credo's people giving out food for the next three days. After that they will leave for the food will attract the monsters. In the bags along with your clothes, there are also two small blankets, one to lie on and one to cover yourself up. Each one of you will have two and make sure you use them well for that is all you will get to protect you from the nights cold. The rest of your luggage and everything else will be transported with me to the castle where all your things will be kept safe and out of harm. Just leave them here and my men will take them out. Now there is one last thing to do. You must each take weapons to protect yourselves from the monsters. Yes, even the young one. We are doing all we can to make your lives as safe as possible. You will learn how to defend yourselves with them on your journey. I know that may look and be a bit old fashioned but they most certainly are not useless. We will not be handing out guns for they do almost no damage to the monsters. Instead we will be handing out objects such as knives, swords and staffs which have been specially made to deal specific hurt onto attacking monsters. Please take one now." She motioned to the man on her left who went around with a large tray filled up with weapons.

Mina carefully selected two knives and Joey and Tristan followed suit. Tea and Serenity took some staffs from the man and got Mokuba one for his size. Mai, Yugi and Kaiba all got swords. Kimomo left the room with her men to let them finish their packing. Mina dove for her bag and grabbed her clothes. She rummaged through them until she found her white tank top and her short shorts which had an camouflage design on it. She then picked out a pair of warm pants and folded them into the bag along with her favourite black leather jacket. She then grabbed the food provisions for the next three days and proceeded to eat breakfast from the assortment of food on the table. The rest of the gang packed their bags and joined her. As soon as their breakfast was finished, all of them pulled out their weapons to examine them.

Joey and Tristan had both chosen flick-knives that could be hidden perfectly in their shoe or sleeve. Each knife was sharpened so well that one touch could draw blood. The hilt of the knives shone silver and mahogany. The hilt was hard so as to be able to be hit onto someone's or something's jaw or head and cause enough damage for the attacker to back of. The blades glinted in the light but it wasn't a pure silver colour. It had a touch of metallic blue through it. Tea, Serenity and Mokuba had chosen staffs. The staffs were metal, coated with a wood painting to make it look like it could break. Instead, it was as hard as steel. As Mokuba turned the staff over to get a good look at it, his curious hands touched the claw design in the middle of the staff. Suddenly, a blade popped out of the side of the staff, startling him into dropping it. Slowly, he picked it up again and gingerly looked at it. Tea and Serenity did the same. Their blades were the same colour as the knives. Silver with a hint of metallic blue. The hid the blades back into the staffs and held onto them tightly. Mai and Yugi had both chosen swords. Not swords really but scimitars. The blue and silver blades were bent forward, meant for reaping heads of shoulders. The metal hilts were molded with a knob at the end of it allowing the user to hold onto it comfortably without it slipping out of his or her hands when the scimitar was swung. The two wielders sheathed their swords in the back of their bags.

Mina had taken out her two knives and was looking at it intently. They were three-pronged and deadly. The middle blade was the longest and the other two were placed next to it so strategically that if the blade pierced skin, it could hurt where most vulnerable. The prongs were also there to stop carelessness. If the wielder missed its target, even by a little, it could mean that the monster lived and so the wielder dies. So if this knife was thrust into a monsters chest and missed the heart, the other prongs could do its job and pierce the heart. Each silver and blue prong on each knife had a hook sticking out on each side. This was to be able to grab on to the monster of anything else such as other weapons, claws or flesh. Traditionally, these hooks were used to pull the guts out of the victim. The wielder would thrust the knife deep into the victims stomach and twist the knife so that the hook would get stuck into the organs. The wielder would pull out hard and along with the knife coming out, a tumble of organs, internal and external, would come out with it, leaving the victim to die in a very horrible way. Mina winced as she thought about its and doubted she would ever use that way. The hilt of her knives were shaped into a dragon roaring, coloured red. She inspected them all over for faults of any kind and liked what she saw. Mina spun them around in her hands expertly and sheathed them - one on each side - in her belts. They were at arms length, ready at any moment to come at if she was in the least bit of trouble. She looked up around the room and her eyes caught Kaiba's shape. She stared at him and blushed remembering again when they had bumped into each other.

Kaiba, on the other hand, had better things to do. He was busy inspecting his sword that he had chosen. He whipped it out of its sheath and it sung a dangerous song. The rest of the gang whipped their heads around hearing the sword clearing its sheath. Kaiba looked it over carefully, twisting it round and round, measuring it with his hand until it became like a natural part of his arm. He swung it back and forth listening to the air whipping around it. He inspected the metal of the blade, which again was silver with a metallic blue hint. The blade was long and sharp. _'I guess that the blue tint is the special chemical they put in the blades to help them pierce through the monster's hide.' _Kaiba thought to himself. He stared at its hilt which was coloured a dark blue and had a jewel embedded into the end, just like the swords of old. The jewel looked to be a sapphire but it had a bit of white streaked through it as well. He swung his sword out gave a cutting strike to an imaginary foe. _'I guess all those Kendo lessons paid off. Minako must have done weapon work as well cause she looked quite at home with those things in her hands. Maybe its her martial arts background thing. Whatever.' _Kaiba sheathed the sword back and hung it by the side of his belt.

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A bell sounded just behind them and the gang heard a man shouting. "10 minutes to departure! 10 minutes to departure!"

They looked at each other and grabbed their bags. They ran out into the pavilion and joined the mass amount of people there. An announcement was made on the loud speaker. After 10 minutes another bell sounded and the whole group of people turned to look at the buildings that they had spent the night in. Credo's voice sounded all around them and suddenly, like it was a hologram, the building disappeared. Gasps of disbelief could be heard all around and Mina turned to look at Yugi who only shook his head and shrugged. '_What the hell is going on here? First there's the magic 'ankh' that can turn into the thing that's most like you, then there's the duel monsters that can come to life and are real, then there is the building that we all slept in and ate in that disappears. I thought I could believe everything when we fought the Pharaoh and Asheba. Now this is almost too much. Its like Credo has some sort of magic. I hope not. I don't think I could take anymore of this magic thing. I was so looking forward to a normal life and perhaps a normal dueling competition with Yugi… but no I guess the Motos can never have a normal life.' _ Mina thought. The large group of people separated into the different parts of the forest and were hidden behind the trees.

As the gang walked along a path, talking about the incident that happened, Yugi turned to Kaiba. "Are you going to come with us or are you going your own way." Everybody stopped and looked at him.

" Mokuba and I will be going our own way. Far away from you and your meddlesome friends. Thank god I didn't have to spend more time with you than I had to.

"Why you ungrateful little - " Joey spat before Mai cut him off.

"Good we didn't want to spend any time with you either. You just did us all a favour by going off by yourself."

Mina knelt down gave Mokuba a hug. "Take care of yourself. Make sure your brother doesn't give you a hard time ok? If he does just come and find me and I'll give him a piece of my mind." She whispered in his ear.

Mokuba grinned and went to say goodbye to the rest of the gang. Mina stood up and looked Kaiba right in the eye and said softly so only he could hear. "You better look after him. Its not just you who cares about him, you know. All of us do. I think of him as a little brother and if I hear that he is - "

Kaiba cut her off. "You think I don't care enough of my brother to look after him properly. What about all the other times you've seen me? I would risk my life for him. You **saw** me risk my life for him. And just because you care about him doesn't mean I don't. I care about him more than you'll **ever** know. So don't tell me how to look after **my** brother." He growled quietly at her. She glared back. They stared at each other in the eye, both daring the other one to look away. Blue and brown fighting a small battle only they knew. Mokuba came back and grabbed Kaiba's hand. Kaiba's blue eyes snapped away from Mina's mesmerising brown ones to look at his little brother. They walked away following another path.

"What was that all about?" Joey asked her.

"What was what all about?"

"You know, both of you staring at each other like that. I swear, if anybody got caught in the middle of the glares, they'd die of fright!"

"Oh that. Nothing. Just saying goodbye." Mina smirked.

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"I'm hungry!"

"Yeah, me too. When can we eat?!"

"Joey! Tristan! If you two don't stop whining, we're going to eat you!" Tea snapped.

"But we're hungry and I… OUCH!!! Mai what was that for!" Joey yelled rubbing the back of his head where Mai hand had been two seconds ago.

"That's how to take care of two whinging boys. Just slap them on the head." Mai grinned and gave a high five to Mina.

"Yeah but that killed!"

"You better stop or she's going to hit you again." Yugi warned.

They all looked at each other for a second and burst out laughing. Their laughter was cut short by rustling in the bushes. They all turned around and waited in anticipation. Tea grabbed Yugi's hand. Out from the bushes stepped two men wearing khaki shorts and camouflage tops. They even had face paint on them. Yugi and Mina gave each other a look.

"We are the Camio Brothers!" One of the tow men shouted.

"We are the masters of disguise and of duelling! We call forth Yugi and Minako Moto to duel us so we can prove to you that we are the most powerful and stealthy." The other one called out.

"Um… ok." Mina looked at the others with a confused look.

"Is this a double duel?" Yugi called out to them also stepping forward.

"Yes it is. My name is Steve and my brothers name is Duke. So now we duel and we will win!" Steve yelled.

"Wait, how do you win?" Mina asked. "I mean, they havnt actualyy told us the rules here so um…"

"It was on the announcement last night." Duke told her.

"When? I didn't hear it."

"Yeah, you were in the shower." Joey said sheepishly before ducking behind Tristan to save himself from the look she gave him.

"Basically Mina, its like normal duelling. The moment the duel starts your ankh will project your life points behind you. You start of with 4000 and the usual thing applies." Yugi explained.

"Oh cool. In that case. Lets duel!"

The four people got into their positions and activated their ankhs.

"Ladies first." Steve called out to Mina.

"Thanks." She nodded and drew her five cards from the mouth of her dragon. Suddenly, its wings flashed open showing spaces where she could place her cards.

"I place two cards face down and call up Mystical Elf in defence mode!" Mystical Elf appeared in a flash of light and took her spot in the game.

"My turn!" Steve called out. "I summon Battle Soldier!" Battle Soldier stepped out of the light and into the game. He grabbed his gun by the side of him and took aim.

"Now me." Yugi cried in his deep voice. "I summon Winged Karibo!" Winged Karibo bounced out and gave his little cry.

"Last, but not least, me!" Duke shouted. "I place one card face down and now… come on out Underground Worm!" The ground shook and a worm jumped out from the ground.

"Ok. My turn. I summon Gyakuteno Megami!" Mina cried.

"Now! Out you come Lethal Soldier. Ok Battle Soldier, attack her Mystical Elf." Steve cried. Battle soldier ran forward until he came to shooting range. He then took aim and fired. A bullet shot from his gun into Mystical Elf's head. Blood spurted forward from the elf and she fell down dead, the blood from her head running down her body. Tea and Serenity covered their eyes while Yugi winced and Mina took a step back from her dead monster. Steve looked away before shouting "Ok now that that's done, Lethal Soldier attack her Gyakuteno Megami!" The Lethal Soldier ran forward with a knife in between his teeth. He grabbed it out and was about to stab Gyakuteno when Mina called out. "Not so fast. I use my Bear Trap to take your monster. Bear Trap grabs a monster with 2000 or less attack points and destroys it!" A huge trap surged forth from the ground and clamped onto Lethal Soldiers leg. Lethal Soldier cried out and suddenly got pulled into the ground.

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"You can't win!!!" Duke cried out. It was near the end of the duel and Mina and Yugi were on low life-points though Steve was low too. "Now that Steve and I have joined up using our magic card, you will never be able to beat our Stealth Goon which has 3000 attack points! How about you just give up? No? Ok well Stealth Goon, take down one of her four monsters that are on the field."

The Stealth Goon disappeared and reappeared right next to Mina's Silver Fang. It struck it with its machine gun and Silver Fang fell, howling in pain. Mina winced and then called out "You fell into my trap!"

"What? What trap? You don't have any trap or magic cards on the field! Ha, you're lying!" Steve laughed.

"Oh yeah? That was the 12th monster you sent to my graveyard. So now, I sacrifice my three remaining monsters on the field to call up - "

Yugi grinned and the others cheered. They knew what coming. Yugi quickly looked at his cards and thought up a strategy to help Mina. An imaginary light bulb came floating above his head and he got an idea.

" – FALLEN ANGEL!!!" Mina cried. The three monsters on the field glowed with a white light and then were swallowed dark tendrils coming up from the ground. From the tendrils Fallen Angel was formed. She shot up into the air and her black wings unfurled. He blonde hair was flying everywhere and the black belts hanging from her waists were lifting up due to the wind. The black clothes she wore added to the effect. She reached to her sides and unsheathed two swords. They rang clear in the silence of the forest. " For every monster in the graveyard, she gains an extra 200 attack and defence points. So adding the 12 monsters my graveyard, the three I just sacrificed and the 2800 attack points she already has, Fallen Angel now has 5800 attack points!" Steve and Duke looked on in horror. "But luckily for you, she cannot attack when she is called out and she must be put in defence mode for one turn." Mina nodded to Fallen Angel who glided to the ground, curled her eight wings up, and folded her hands across her chest, her swords standing up in the ground in front of her. Mina looked at the brothers and indicated to them to start their turn with a smirk.

It was the brothers turn because their magic card allowed them both to act on the same turn. They concurred with each other and came to a conclusion. They then placed three cards down and called up a 2nd monster, a Camouflage Charger with an attack of 2200, to the field. Their turn had finished. Yugi grinned.

"I sacrifice my Dark Magician and my Dark Magician Girl along with my Chaos ritual card to summon… MY MAGICIAN OF BLACK CHAOS!!!"

One of Yugi's most powerful monsters appeared from the grave that Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl disappeared into. He rose, tall and thin, with his dark sceptre. Then Yugi pointed to the Camouflage Charger. "Attack!" The Magician of Black Chaos nodded and lifted up his spectre. A black ball of energy collected at the end of the sceptre and then flew at full speed towards the large tank. It collided with it and a huge bang was heard. Smoke filled the air where the blast was sent and Yugi thought. Suddenly, while the whole gang was waiting in anticipation, he called out

"Just in case, I use my Jinzo Effect magic card. Its just like its name says. It has the Jinzo effect. It destroys every trap card. But there's one more thing. It only destroys traps on your side of the field."

Mina turned to Yugi and grinned. He smiled back and they turned their attention back to the duel. The smoke had cleared and the tank was in pieces and so were the three cards that the brothers had put out on the field.

"And now its my turn." Mina laughed maliciously. _'I love duelling. I love the feeling that you get when you know you're going to win. And I love the feeling that you get when you smell defeat. Ah well… this was really fun and they duelled well.' _ "Ok! Fallen Angel, come out of defence position and into attack!" Fallen Angel lifted her head, unfolded her hands and grabbed her swords from the ground. She swung her swords round and round and smiled, waiting for the command to kill. After all, she was a _fallen_ angel. No one said she had to be holy and kind.

"Now Fallen Angel, would you be so kind as to destroy their Stealth Goon?" Mina asked Fallen Angel knowing her reply.

"It will be a pleasure" came the musical voice from Fallen Angel's mouth.

She ran at full speed towards the Stealth Goon. The wind picked up and her swords flared. One became engulfed in flames while the other in ice. As she reached the Goon, she slashed her sword out and two long marks appeared on the Stealth Goon's body. He was double her size, towering over her and she still hurt him. She slashed him again, this time the opposite way making to bloody crosses on his body. They were bleeding something bad but not hard enough to kill him. She then jumped up into the wind and unfurled her eight majestic black wings. The wind picked her up and brought her high into the air. Then she dived. As she did, she adjusted her swords until they were right in front of her. Closer and closer she got to the Stealth Goon until suddenly she stopped. Her swords were inside the Goon and could be seen on the other side of his body. He was gagging blood and his body was falling backwards slowly. Fallen Angel placed her feet on his shoulder and the momentum of them sent him falling back to the ground with her standing on his stomach. Nobody moved. Suddenly the hologram of the brothers' life points started to move. It spun and spun until it reached 0000. The game was over. The Stealth Goon gave one last twitch and lay still. Fallen Angel pulled out her swords ruthlessly and wiped of the blood on it onto the Goon's clothes. She then ran across too Mina. Mina gave Yugi a high five and the gang a thumbs up before swinging round and squealing. Fallen Angel and Mina hugged each other and laughed.

"Oh My God! I couldn't believe it. You were so amazing! And you can talk! Oh My God!" Mina squealed.

"Yeah, I can talk and you were really good too! Finally, I can talk to you. We've got such a close bond and now we're even closer!" Fallen Angel laughed.

She then turned to the Magician of Black Chaos who was shaking Yugi's hand and speaking to him in a quiet voice. She ran over to them, congratulated Yugi and turned to Magician. "Hey, you did great. Good work!" And gave him a hug. Magician gave her a stunned look and she laughed. She ran back to Mina who winked at her.

"You like him!"

"No I don't. But I do like Dark Magician. Him and his sexy purple hair. Hmm…"

Mina laughed.

"Hey, I'm kinda tired. Do you mind if I return to my card and get some shut eye?"

"Yeah no problem. Here."

A bright light shone and Fallen Angel was back into her card. Magician soon followed and Mina and Yugi jumped down to meet the defeated brothers and the gang. Tea ran up to Yugi and gave him a congratulatory kiss. Joey looked at Mina and grinned.

"You know, I never noticed how much you and Fallen Angel are so alike."

**A/N: Hey you guys. I hope you enjoyed it. This, I think is the longest chapter yet. And to think I was having a writers block on it. Ha! Actually I thought up like 6 of the pages at church. Hey, I was bored and I had nothing else to do. (Actually I could have listened to the Archbishop's speech but I really couldn't do it. He started droning on. ) Anyway, some of the Duel Monsters in here aren't actually real. I kinda made some of them up k? Just in case you were wondering. **


	6. Chapter 6: Yes, But We're Alive!

_**Chapter 6**_

'_**Yes but we're ALIVE!!!'**_

A/N: Hugs all round!!!! I love you guys!. Iv just found out that iv got 2 ppl that put me on their fav stories!!!!! And I have the most awesome awesome reviewer. Again thanx soooooo much to Magic Defenestration!!!!! Btw I have like 235 hits and only 7 reviews, not like it's a bad thing that I have 7 reviews. Im really happy that I 7 reviews but more reviews would make me feel sooo much better. Don't u want me to feel happy:P specially since exams r coming up soon. Oh I nearly 4got about that. I might not be able to update fast cause of exams so bear wid me k? Um quick note. Im changing the summary so the best thing to do would be to 1) read the chapter. 2) move your little arrow thing to the bottom left of the screen and click the little button that says review. 3) once you type in your much appreciated review into the box move your arrow down into the little checkbox section and click 'add to story alert list'. 4) wait for a few days until you see a 'botfanfictionfanfic….. email in your inbox which says that I have a new chap up. 5) read that chap. Lol kk iv kept u 4 too long. Enjoy 

"Good work you guys. You were really close." Yugi called out, stepping over the debris of the battle.

"Yeah. You nearly got us." Mina followed.

"Hmph. I always thought that the Stealth Goon could take you. We studied your moves for ages trying to figure out how to beat you and finally we had a chance to duel you and we lost." Duke mumbled.

"I'm touched that you studied how we dueled just to beat us but its not something that stays the same the whole way through. You know?" Yugi replied.

"Huh?" Steve grunted inarticulately.

Mina giggled. "If you're up against someone like Rex Raptor or Weevil Underwood you could probably study their techniques and win I guess. That's because they have a specific deck like a dinosaur deck or a bug deck but if you went against Yugi or I or even Seto Kaiba, you couldn't study us. We have a mixed deck, full of different monsters ready for different occasions. Your deck was sorta like that and sorta not. You had a well balanced deck but all of them had to do with soldiers and stealth. Its no biggie just maybe you should have your own style."

"Yeah may - "

A piercing screech filled the air and everybody looked up to see a huge winged shape fly over them. The gang started to panic and Mina looked at her cards. She swiped one of them in front of her dragon's eyes and a bright light appeared.

"What the hell?! Come on! All I'm asking for is a little shut eye. Oh right. Hold on, I'll go see what's up." Fallen Angel flew of after noticing the shape in the sky.

"Dark Magician? Could you go help her?" Yugi called out his favourite card who nodded and flew of.

"God, she going to have a field day with him up there with her. Apparently, she likes him." Mina giggled.

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After what seemed like forever, Fallen Angel and Dark Magician came gliding back down, grinning, followed by the winged shape and two others, smaller than it. It was a Winged Garuda and two Firebirds. They landed and the Garuda walked forward towering over the people on the ground.

"Greetings. I am one of Credo's lead messengers. I am here to tell the losers of this duel-" bowing his head towards the two brothers who were somewhat scared. "-that they have lost and have to now come with me back to the airport where an airplane is waiting for the losers to board."

"What!? We were never told about that." The brothers protested.

"I am telling you now. I well tell you the rules of what happens when you win or lose a duel. If you lose a duel, you will come back to the airport. But if you win a duel you are one step closer to Credo's castle and the prize. I will tell you more but first let me arrange these people their ride back." The Garuda gave a piercing shriek and the two Firebirds darted forward and picked each brother up and placed them on their backs.

The two brothers gave each other a scared look and the gang waved them a goodbye before they took off.

"Now to continue on. I am here to give you some warnings and congratulations. First, when you win a duel, you each get a piece of a map which will guide you through the deathly maze that Credo has put up surrounding his castle." The Garuda reached out with his claw and gave Yugi and Mina a small sheet of paper, each with a different part of the map with it. "You may have this pendant to keep the map pieces in. The more duels you win, the more map pieces you will receive and the better your chances of getting through the maze. I am also to give you warnings about the maze. It is a large expanse of green labyrinth and it can be the death of you if you are not careful. Not only are there dangerous monsters lurking around corners, there is also a deadly catch. If you come across a dead end a trap will open and you will be sent down beneath the maze to a dungeon where you will be kept until the time comes for you to go back to your home. So get as many map pieces as you can to brig you through the maze."

The gang nodded and the Winged Garuda prepared to take of.

"One last word of advise. Many would kill for the map pieces. Literally. So look out for thieves in the night and the day." He called out before stretching his huge grey wings and swooping over them.

"Well that was interesting, to say the least." Mai grinned.

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Three days had passed and it was late afternoon. The gang was lying next to a bunch of trees eating their food. It was too hot to walk and none of the wanted to do anything else. Mina was wearing her white tank top with her short shorts that had a army design on them. She had kicked of her shoes and was lying under some shade, oblivious to what was going round, concentrating on only how to get rid of the heat that was circulating the island and her body. The rest of the gang were in the same position struggling to stay cool in the hot sun. Yugi was sitting in his three quarter jeans and a light t-shirt looking at his map. He and Mina had three pieces of the map each and Joey and Mai both had two pieces. Mina looked at him and smiled. '_He's always so focused on what he has to do.' _ Suddenly a rustling was heard behind her and she jumped up.

"What?"

"I heard something."

The rest of the gang jumped up with her and they stood in a circle, ready for action. Suddenly a loud howl was heard almost directly behind them and Mina spun around just in time to see a pack of Silver Fangs creeping towards them. Maybe pack isn't the right word. The numbers just seemed too big to be called pack. There was about 40 of them and they were all growling, hackles raised.

"I think their hungry." Joey murmured.

"How 'bout we don't give them a chance to taste us then." Mina replied.

The gang nodded and the people with ankhs called up their respective partners. Fallen Magician, Flame Swordsman and Harpy Lady #1 all appeared ready to take them on. The alpha male of the Sliver Fangs bared his teeth and Fallen Angel hissed in reply. The Silver Fangs lunged at the gang and the battle begun.

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"There's way too many. Its 5 against 40!" Tea called out.

"Use your weapons!" Mai screamed before dodging an attacking Silver Fang.

Mina drew her three pronged knives and spun them around in her hands. She felt so much at home with them. A Silver Fang dived at her and she slashed it. It fell at her feet howling in pain. The others saw it and came at her for revenge. '_oh .' _ Was the voice that rang in Mina's head. She whipped this way and that using her knives as well as her feet to repel the Silver Fangs. Again and again she slashed and pierced but they just kept coming. She spun around at one and gave it a back kick, sending it flying. Another dived at her and she ran one of her knives through it using the other knife to repel the other that was dive-bombing her. She looked wildly around for Fallen Angel and saw that she had her own problems. _Í can't even summon another monster. This stupid things wont let me!' _ She thought roughly to herself and slashing a monster with each word.

Mina drove her two knives through an attacking Silver Fang and got distracted trying to pull them out from its body. She finally got them free and heard the wind move behind her. She whipped around to see a Silver Fang right in front of her, its mouth wide open, ready to bite down. She opened her mouth to scream when suddenly she realised that the Silver Fang was sort of stuck in mid-air and blood was spurting out from its mouth. Mina looked down and saw the tip of a sword protruding from its hairy body, covered in blood.

"Thanks Fal- Kaiba? What the hell?" She looked behind the monster expecting to see Fallen Angel but instead saw a tall shape with piercing blue eyes staring at her. Her jaw fell open.

"Stop being an idiot and help me fight." He growled.

Mina turned her head and saw a white dragon with blue eyes in the mist of the battle with Mokuba on its back. She turned back to Kaiba who was slashing at a particularly large Silver Fang. She stared at him. '_WTF? Stop staring you stupid girl. Go and fight. He must think you're completely incapable of fighting for yourself. This is the second time he's saved you.' _ She told herself. _'Shut up and help me fight instead of gabbing on about nothing. Oh great, not only am I reprimanding myself, I'm actually having a conversation with me too. God.' _ She stopped her little conversation in her head to slash the last few unhurt Silver Fangs. The rest of them ran back away into the forest. Out of the 40 that attacked only 7 were killed. The rest were allowed to run away, hurt and scared.

The gang then turned to stare at Mokuba, Blue Eyes and Kaiba. Mina returned Fallen Angel to her card and the Kaiba and the rest followed suite still not taking their eyes of each other. Mokuba broke the silence by running over to them.

"Hey you guys! I can't believe we met you here in all places. We were just walking down the path over there and we saw this pack of Silver Fangs pass by. We heard a howl and a scream and so we came to help. And guess what? It was you guys." Mokuba looked unhurt as he babbled on. A bit hot maybe but unscathed.

Kaiba stared the gang down. He wasn't wearing his usual getup. It was way too hot for it. Instead, he had on a pair of light jeans and a t-shirt. His t-shirt was black and it had it had a circle cut at the top. The best thing about it, in Mina's opinion, was the fact that it had no sleeves. It was just a normal t-shirt complete with the shoulder parts of a normal t-shirt until you got to the sleeves. It looked like someone had ripped them off. Mina eyes his forearm muscles. They were sweaty with the heat and the fight they jut had and they rippled every time he moved his sword. Mina shivered. '_What the hell? I am soo not supposed to be thinking about this. He is Seto Kaiba for crying out loud.' 'So what?' _another part of her brain rebelled. '_Just because he's your sworn enemy doesn't mean you cant perve on him. I mean, look at him. Every girl has the right to look at a hot body.' _ Kaiba noticed her stare and thought it for something different. '_This is why I didn't want to travel with them. I would have had to wear this in front of them. Not many people have seen me where stuff like this. Its damn right uncomfortable. Hello… check out those legs. Damn, a good pair of legs always kill me and these belong to the girl who wishes she could kill me anyway. Wait, wait shut up.' _

"Thanks" Yugi nodded curtly.

Kaiba nodded. He and Yugi didn't really hate each other. They just thought of each other as rivals as such. Not like Wheeler and him.

"Hey Seto? Can we travel with them for a while please? Please?" Mokuba begged. "Its really lonely out there."

Joey snorted and Kaiba gave him a glare.

"I don't think so Mokuba. They wouldn't want us with them."

"You got that right Kaiba" Joey snapped.

"Joey! No, we'd be fine if you joined us. Don't worry about it." Mina jabbed Joey in the ribs before looking at Kaiba and then at Mokuba.

"All right!" Mokuba yelled running around.

Mina looked at Yugi and shrugged.

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"That was so not funny Joseph Wheeler!" Mina yelled.

"What are you talking about? That was the funniest thing I had seen in my life!" Joey and Tristan were on the ground laughing hysterically and Mina was looking at them with an annoyed look on her face.

"NO IT WAS NOT!!! Dropping a spider into my blankets while I was sleeping is NOT my idea of funny! And don't you start as well. I know you had a part in this as well!" She growled at Mokuba giving him the evil eye.

"Yeah but you should have seen your face. And you're scream? Priceless!" Mokuba added cheekily before ducking behind Kaiba for protection from the roaring girl.

It was the next day and the gang was walking underneath the rooftops of the forest. It was a lot cooler than the day before so everybody was back to their normal getups they had worn the day they left the safe house. Sleeping arrangements the night before was a bit uncomfortable. Kaiba insisted that he would sleep about 10 metres away from the rest of the gang and so Mokuba had to keep coming back and forth from each camp set up. In the end, he decided to sleep with the gang and Kaiba was left by himself for the night. Not that it was a bad thing for him. He welcomed the solitude.

"Anyway, Kaiba. I know you want to be hostile and unsociable but I have a question." Mina continued ignoring the three boys. Everybody snapped to attention when they heard Mina say Kaiba's name. Usually when they talked, it ended up in some sort of argument or row where one of them usually ends up spitting out horribly vulgar words.

"Whatever." Came the monosyllabic reply.

"How many pieces of the map do you have?"

"3."

"Ah, so the same amount as us."

"Yes."

"Do you like to talk in monosyllables or is there something wring in saying more than 3 syllables? Maybe one of your many – ARGH!!!!!!" A blood-curling scream emitted from Mina's mouth in mid sentence as a black hole suddenly appeared in the middle of the path.

Yugi rushed forward to try and get her but to no avail. Suddenly she stopped falling. Her eyes followed a large hand, up a silver cuff, up past a white sleeve and into the face of Seto Kaiba. He was holding her hand tight and sweat was poring out of both their hands making it slippery for her to hold on. '_Dammit! This is the 3__rd__ time he's saved me!' _

"What is that!!!???" Serenity screamed.

Everybody shook their heads and Kaiba calmly turned his head around. "It's a black hole."

"No shit Sherlock!" Mina yelled from inside what seemed like a never ending hole, holding onto a certain man's hand for dear life. Literally.

"It popped up on us in the middle of the forest a little while ago. Mokuba got quite a scare. I think it might be one of the many traps that have been set around the island." Kaiba continued ignoring the girl's comments.

"Ah, that great but… CAN YOU GET ME OUT OF HERE?!!!" said girl yelled.

"Yeah Seto, We'd better pull her out before it starts sucking things in." Mokuba warned his big brother.

"SUCKING!!! WHAT?!!!" Mina called out.

"Its sort of a Black Hole effect." Kaiba explained calmly, humour dancing in his eyes.

"YOU SEEM PRETTY CALM SEEING THAT THIS STUPID THING IS GOING TO SUCK ME IN!! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!! First the spider and now this. I hate today." She muttered under her breath.

"Mina, grab my hand with your other hand." Yugi's voice travelled down to her before a hand stuck out next to Kaiba's

"I can't. Its so short."

Suddenly a sucking noise was heard and the hole was beginning to move round and round.

"Crap." Mina whispered softly to herself before screaming her lungs out.

Yugi and the rest were scrambling to help Kaiba and Kaiba himself was busy trying to pull her out of the vortex.

"Wheeler, grab onto my coat and pull backwards. The thing is sucking her in and its dragging me in as well." Kaiba commanded panicking.

Joey grabbed onto Kaiba's coat, Tristan grabbed onto Joey's jacket, Tea grabbed onto Tristan's jacket, Yugi grabbed onto Tea's t-shirt, Serenity grabbed onto Yugi's jacket and Mai grabbed onto Serenity's t-shirt. Mokuba stood to the side yelling out instructions. Putting all their strength into it, the whole gang tried to pull Mina out of the now giant sucking vortex of death. Without warning, Joey's hand slipped from Kaiba's coat and Kaiba lurched forward into the whole. Mokuba scrambled to grab Kaiba but was too late as Kaiba and Mina were hurled into the vortex, bags and all.

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Mina groaned and turned her body slightly. To the side of her she could see Kaiba lying with a large bruise on his forehead and moaning. '_I feel exactly the same. Being hurtled down from a 50 billion feet or however long it was vortex does not help you AT ALL. I feel like I've been kicked by a donkey. Ow my ribs, ow my feet, ow my head – and those stupid birds are not helping at all. Wait birds?' _ Mina sat up abruptly and groaned as she grabbed her side. She stood up slowly and evaluated her situation. _'I'm in a forest, I'm alive I think, there are birds singing, my bag is still here, the sun is shining and I'M ALIVE! I'm not in a freaky dungeon or dead in some sack but here somewhere on the island ALIVE!' _

"I'm alive! I'm Alive! I'M ALIVE!!!" She screamed joyfully running around.

"Yeah we all know you're alive but could you SHUT UP! I have a headache and I'm about to kill." Kaiba growled.

"Yes but don't you get it? We're ALIVE!"

"I think you've hit you're head to hard on the ground."

"Yes but we're - "

"Alive, alive I get it. But here another thing for you to think about. We're on the other side of the island away from your brother and my brother and we're by ourselves."

"Yes but – oh."

"Yes oh."


	7. Chapter 7: Spiralling Into Past

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Spiraling into the Past **_

**A/N: Hey you guys! Thank you soooo much to Magical Defenstration and Miss LaaDeeDaa for your reviews and amazing ideas. Thanks to you guys I've now got the whole plot planned out and a really cute story written out in my head for you. Thanks so much and I hope you enjoy the chapter. This one was really hard to write cause I don't really know how it fits in. Everything else will come to me naturally. Its just that this chapter was kinda hard to write so I'm sorry if it came out bad.**

_Mina's P.O.V_

This

Is

Not

Happening.

I'm stuck here? With HIM!!! No way in hell!

"Will you move!" great… he's talking to me.

"No I will not you great oaf! How do we know where we are and how we're going to get back. This could be a trap for all we know."

"You're calling me an oaf? Do you even know what an oaf is? Wheeler is an oaf. An oaf is a person with no class, no style, no-"

"And you're saying you've got style? And class? Wow, you are so humble I think I'm going to fall on my knees." Kaiba is the most obnoxious, stupid, pathetic, annoying person I have EVER met. Bloody hell, talk about self obsessed.

"Shut up, bitch." HE DID NOT!!!

"Bastard."

"Slut!" ARGH!!!

"Dick-head"

"Whore."

"Ass-hole. I've got plenty more if you want to know. I've grown up with Joey and my brother. You **can't** beat me. Just see if you can."

"You are the most competitive person I have ever met!" he sighed and walked up the hill.

I looked at him for a minute. Is it me or did he just give up and let me win?

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"Get lost Kaiba! I can survive on my own out here."

"Yeah and pigs fly."

"Shut up asshole."

"Shut up yourself bitch.

"Dickhead."

"Slut."

"Bastard."

"Wh- Forget it. I'm not doing this again"

"Yer, that's cause you **know **you can't beat me."

"God woman! Do you have to be so god damned stubborn. Fine. Go by yourself then. Lets see if you make it past that boulder over there without me saving you!."

Stupid male with his stupid challenges. And his stupid hotness. Why!!!! WHY must he be so damned hot! If he wasn't, I could totally loathe him without feeling anything. But no… he has to be the type who's a bad boy as well as totally hot… Why do I always fall for the dickhead. Wait did I say fall? I'm not falling. I refuse, I refuse completely. Eh Gad! I think my brain is making up illusions where I like Seto Kaiba who was won the World's Most Obnoxious three times in a row. RUN!!!! THE WORLD IS FALLING APART!!!

Normal POV 

Mina looked at the male in front of her and sniffed. She got up, dusted her clothes off, grabbed her pack and walked to the boulder. She placed her hands on the boulder and stuck her tongue out at Kaiba.

"See you didn't save me. You didn't even move. I don't need saving. I'm just going to bring out one of my winged monsters and then fly them over with a message to Yugi and the others."

"Please. What are they going to do?" Kaiba rolled his eyes and walked over next to her and leant against the boulder. "It looks like we're not even remotely close to where they last were and it might take three days to get a messenger there."

"Well, do you want to tell you're brother that you're safe and not to worry about you or not? I actually thought you were a responsible brother. I guess I was wrong."

"Why you - " Kaiba began when a cry came out from the distance.

"What was that?!" Mina jumped edging a little closer to Kaiba before realizing what she was doing and stepping away.

" I don't know." Came the curt reply. Kaiba looked around wearily and drew out his swords and motioned for Mina to do the same. She drew her knives (**A/N which by the way is called a Sai. Well two knives are called Sais and I'm gonna call them Sais from now on k?) **and jumped them wearily in her hands.

"You know Kaiba, they sounded an awful lot like war cries."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"Well, I'm studying history in uni and we were watching this video about - "

"Get to the point Moto."

"I was going to if you hadn't interrupted. Anyway, we watched a video about ancient natives on some islands and a lot of them before they hunted or fought sorta had this thing where they would yell out insanely. It sounded a lot like that."

"Ok Moto. One problem. We're not in ancient times!"

"I know that Kaiba! I'm just giving an idea." 

"Well don't. I'm trying to think."

"Asshole." Mina muttered under her breath before whipping round.

"What?" Kaiba asked noticing her abrupt movement.

"I heard a rustling in those bushes."

Another rustling was heard except on the other side. Kaiba whipped round and took a step back. Mina and Kaiba stood back to back, holding out their weapons. Kaiba turned his head back to see if Mina was ok and saw her smacking her forehead and heard her mutter 'duh.' Mina flipped her Sais back into her belts and spun a card in her hand. She scanned it in front of her ankh dragon's eyes and the card began to glow. A second later Fallen Angel appeared. She waved at Mina and winked at Kaiba. Kaiba was about to call out Blue Eyes when a blood-curling cry was heard right next to them and suddenly a horde of men came running out from either side of the two. The men were all but naked except for the brown loin clothes that covered their groins. Each carried a weapon which were primitively made. Most carried spears and some carried blow pipes. Mina looked around and drew her Sais knowing there was really no point. '_Why do I get myself into these situations.' _ The men came running towards them blocking them from escaping and were about to attack when a man spotted the shiny glowing 8 foot angel that was spinning her swords about ruthlessly, waiting for a fight. He yelled out a harsh word and the men all around him gasped and muttered incomprehensible words. They fell to the ground gasping. Mina and Kaiba looked at each other confused. Fallen Angel landed on the ground and walked over to Mina. Mina looked up at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me. I have no idea what's happening." Fallen Angel shook her head obviously as confused as the two.

A man shuffled forward and mumbled something. Mina leant forward and looked at the man.

"We cannot understand you." She said slowly as if expecting them to understand her if she spoke slower. Kaiba rolled his eyes but stopped when he heard the man speak in English.

"I am sorry we have tried to hurt you Friend of the Dark Star." The man mumbled still groveling on the ground in front of the highly uncomfortable Fallen Angel.

"Friend of the Dark Star?" Kaiba asked plainly confused. He looked at Mina who shrugged her shoulders.

"Come with us. My name is Ahanu."

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Mina's eyes opened wide in shock as Ahanu and the group of hunters took Kaiba, Fallen Angel and herself to their village. As they passed the huts, people stared out at them, ogling at their attire and mumbling in wonder at her ankh on her arm. A woman stood outside a hut, weaving a carpet on a large loom with her two small children running around her ankles. The woman wore almost nothing as well except for the woolen breast band around her bust and the loin cloth. Her children were no different. They were playing some sort of game with each other using bright coloured branches as poles. Next to the hut, there was a large cart loaded with hay, fruit and other food from around the forest. A mule stood next to it, slowly chomping on a bale of straw.

"We are defiantly not in the year 2007 anymore." Mina murmured softly.

Kaiba heard her and looked at her. "Unless of course, this is another trick of Credo's."

"I really hope so. I don't feel like going back into time again." Mina walked off slowly, following Ahanu.

Kaiba looked at her for a second and had half a mind to comfort her but decided against it. The girl; no. The woman in front of him was like nobody he had ever met. No matter how many times he saw her, she never failed to surprise him. She was taking the change of scenery and time very calmly. Maybe it was because of all the adventures that Yugi and her went on but still. It's a very hard thing to deal with. And she was tough. She could take on a pack of Silver Fangs and not get a scratch on her as well as she was a great duelist. Not that he would say any of this to her face. _"I'd rather suffer ten thousand nights with Wheeler than tell her what I just thought." _

"Here we are." Ahanu announced.

Mina looked round the large chamber they were in and gaped in awe. Fallen Angel followed and her jaw dropped to the ground. Kaiba had about the same reaction but showed it in a much more elegant way. A raised eyebrow. There on the large chamber walls were carved drawings of Fallen Angel. On the wall directly in front of them, there was a large life-like carving of her holding her two swords across her body. Her eyes were open and staring at all that entered the chamber and her majestic eight wings had every feather etched into it. The wings unfurled out into a black throne around her body. The other two walls around them depicted Fallen Angel fighting in a great battle and protecting a group of people and on the other side, Fallen Angel rising from the grounds of the earth with a light coming from the sky above. Carved into the floor was some sort of writing telling a story of some sort. Along the edges, offerings of wealth, food and sacrifices were lined up. On the ceiling was the face of Fallen Angel.

"This is the Dark Star. The one whom we worship and love." Ahanu flourished his hand at Fallen Angel who had apparently gotten over her shock and had flown over to further inspect the carvings. "She is the one who we pray to and look to for guidance."

"Oh yeah! These people sure have their priorities right!" Fallen Angel strutted around the room and picked up one of the jewels that was lying on the ground.

Mina knelt down and touched the writing carved onto the ground. "What does this say?"

"This is the story of how we think the Dark Star came to being. In short, it says that she fell from the sky and delved into the deepest part of the earth until she came to Hell. There she spent half of her life, devoting her time into finding and experiencing first hand the evil that has been coming from Hell. Then she came up into earth with the experience of what happens and what to do. She came back to save us from our deaths." Ahanu clasped his hands together reverently.

Mina looked a bit faint. "Ahanu? Would any of your people know what year this is?"

"I am not sure what you mean by year but this is the thousandth and twentieth spring time we have had since the death of the Prophet."

"Holy Shit!" Kaiba burst out with his first two words he had spoken in a long time.

"What?"

"The Prophet, I'm going to assume is something like Jesus so that means that this would be the year 1020."

"ARE YOU INSANE?! NO WAY!"

Kaiba sighed. "Yes, I'm quite sure. Now, Ahanu. Would it be possible if we were able to stay here for a few days?"

"Yes of course. Anything for the friends of the Dark Star." Ahanu called for someone in his language and in about ten minutes, a child was leading them down a dusty pathway towards a hut in the middle of town.

When the two entered the hut, there was one bed and a hammock. Basically that was all there was to the house. Kaiba looked around while Mina put their bags down and sent Fallen Angel back into her card. He found that there was no bathroom, only a hole dug into the ground several metres away. When he returned to the room, he found that Mina was sound asleep on the bed, leaving him to sleep in the hammock.

"This is going to be the worst days of my life." He groaned before lying back in the hammock to watch the slow sunset of the island.


	8. Chapter 8: Quite The Contrary

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Quite the Contrary**_

**Hey! Thanks so much for your awesome reviews and thanks heaps again for Magical Defenstration for her idea as well as Ms LaaDeeDaa. If any of you wanna read a really good story bout Kaiba, go read her story called Something Funny. Its great! Also, I know there are people who are reading this and enjoying it so I'm very grateful but would it be ok if you reviewed. It doesn't have to be a long review. Even one word is ok. (if it's a good review D P) One last thing. I think I might change my summary so if any of you have a good idea for a summary could you please tell me? Thanks. Anyway thanks again and enjoy the show. **

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"This place is so amazing. Who cares if we're a few hundred years in the past?" Mina sighed, sitting on a cliff just east of the village.

Her boots were off, placed just by the side of her and her hair was out of its high ponytail. The wind was strong at the precipice of the cliff and just below it was the beach and the sea. Mina's hair was blown up, around her face and all around her body as the wind flew around her, making sort of like a black halo around her head. Her jacket too was off and placed just behind her and goose bumps were starting to rise on her exposed arms but she didn't care. She had spent a good four days at the village already, exploring with Fallen Angel and Kaiba. He wasn't as bad as she thought he was. Just a bit aloof and stuck up. Ok and obnoxious when he wanted to be.

"Yeah. I love this place. They sure know how to live." Fallen Angel sighed, fluttering down next to Mina.

"That's because they worship you to no end and you're being treated like a queen." Kaiba said sarcastically and rolled his eyes as he appeared over the hill onto the cliff where Mina was sitting. He strode up and stood next to her and raised his hand to shade his eyes from the sun while scanning the horizon.

"That's cause they know how I'm supposed to be treated." Fallen Angel snapped back.

"All the same, I think we should find out how to get back to our time soon."

Mina craned her head up to look at Kaiba. The wind was blowing hard again and his hair was being messed up by it, giving him a very natural look. Mina thought that that suited him very well. His white trench coat was blown up at the back and the wind was pushing his pants back on his legs allowing her to see his long and muscular leg shape through them. And his tight black turtle-neck was pushing against his chest allowing his taught chest muscles to be seen. _'Since when does the CEO of Kaiba Corp. have time to work out. Well obviously he does. I mean come on. Look at that chest. And those arms. It can make a girl swoon. Wait, I did not just say that. I did, I did, I did. I just said that Seto Kaiba was hot and could make a girl swoon. Damn it, I think I'm falling for him. I can't though. No I don't like him. I can't like him. Joey, Tristen and Duke would hate me for it and probably never be my friends again. I can't like him for the sake of my friendship. But damn he's hot…_ Kaiba turned his ice blue eyes away from the ocean and down to Mina who was looking intently at him. He raised an eyebrow at her and she looked down and tried to cover a blush.

"Yeah, we should probably do that. I'm not going to let Joey beat me in the tournament." Mina sighed and got up, dusting of her short skirt and slipping on her jacket. She stepped into her boots and slowly walked of, tying her hair up at the same time.

Kaiba looked at her retreating back. Fallen Angel had flown over and had started talking with great gusto to Mina. After spending four days with Yugi's sister, he had found out she was not **just** Minako Moto, Yugi Moto's sister. She was Mina, a bright, smart, happy, tough and very pretty woman. He had never thought he would have these feelings about her. A few weeks ago he was thinking that he hated her because she had beaten him in every duelling match and he couldn't take it because she was a girl. Now after spending time with her, he had found out that she had everything it took to beat him. She had guts, strength and smarts. Of course he had pretended that he didn't want to hang out with her and only came because he had to. But in actual fact he enjoyed taking walks with her around the village and getting to know the people. And getting to know her. She was almost the complete opposite of him yet she attracted him like a magnet. Now he got the saying opposites attract. He understood it very well. He, the great Seto Kaiba, liked Minako Moto. The aloof, serious, quiet Seto Kaiba liked the open, happy, loud Mina Moto. He seemed to want to smile more around her. Once he even did, and she nearly caught him smiling but he had hidden it before she saw. Kaiba thought she suspected though.

"Are you coming or are you just going to stand there all day?" Mina called back.

Kaiba sighed and followed her.

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"Shouldn't we be going to figure out a way to get back?" Kaiba looked at Mina who was reclining on her bed after letting Fallen Angel back into her card to rest.

"Nah. Can't be bothered. I know, lets talk." She squealed, sitting up on the bed and petting the empty spot in front of her. Kaiba looked at the place where she petted on the bed and cleared his throat.

"Talk? What would you want to talk to me about Moto?"

"Things. Come on, I'm not going to bite."

Kaiba looked around the room and sighed. He walked over to the bed and sat down on it, legs hanging of the side and his right side of his body was facing Mina.

"Come on. Turn around."

"What?"

"If we're going to talk, you're going to have to face me." Mina giggled trying to see how far she could push him. She herself was sitting up straight in the bed with her legs crossed. "Sit like me."

Kaiba looked at her and rolled his eyes. She raised one eyebrow. He sighed and kicked off his shoes before spinning around in the bed and facing her with his legs crossed.

"What is it Moto? I feel like I'm one of your friends sitting on your bed at some sleepover and talking about gossip."

"First of all, call me Mina. Secondly, gossip is a very powerful thing. You know it could break a person or raise them higher than the queen. You should know that if you're running a company. It's going to help."

"How is gossip going to help?" Kaiba looked at her disbelievingly.

"Well, rumours could be started about you and spread like wildfire and you would have no idea how to stop them. Or you could use that to your advantage. Lets say you're going to a party of the CEO of your rival company. One 'accidental' slip of the tongue with a 'slight' falsehood could bring him down." Mina looked at Kaiba slyly, wagging an eyebrow up and down suggestively.

"I would never stoop to that level."

"Trust me. One day you will. And when that day comes, I'll be there to watch and help spread the dangerous rumours that could bring the demise of all your opponents and bring Seto Kaiba higher than he has ever been."

"This talk is so pointless."

"Ok, ok. Lets see. Um… what was the worst pick-up like you've ever used."

Kaiba choked and looked at Mina. "You serious?"

"Yeah. I wanna know."

"Um… ok…" He thought back to the day he had his first girlfriend. That night at the bar, he was so drunk he hardly remembered saying it but he remembered the reaction well enough. "It was 'Am I cute enough yet, or do you need more to drink?"

"WHAT!?!?!?!" Mina fell back laughing on the bed and Kaiba looked slightly amused.

"Hey, I was drunk and I was 18."

"**So** not an excuse though." Mina said through her cries of laughter.

"What about you?"

"Excuse me. I don't use pick up lines. I don't need it!" Mina said haughtily and flicked her hair back of her face. She giggled. "Na. I've never actually used one. I'm usually the one the guys use the pick up lines on. I've never actually heard of a girl using a pick-up line."

"You've got to say one." Kaiba smirked getting into the mood.

"Ok I've got one that this guy used on me at the library. Well he came up to me and said 'It's a good thing I've got my library card cause I'm checking you out.' I had a boyfriend then so I said the first thing that came to my mind which was 'Oh sorry. I'm reserved for someone else." Mina giggled hysterically.

Kaiba felt a smile tugging his lips until his self-control broke and he started to laugh. Mina looked at him.

"What?" he asked.

"I MADE YOU LAUGH!!! I MADE SETO KAIBA LAUGH! Everybody write down the date of this momentous occasion. This day shall be called 'Mina made Kaiba laugh day' hence forth.

Kaiba let out a smile and Mina looked at him again, this time with a different expression.

"What is it now?"

"You look nice when you smile. You should do it more often." She looked down and giggled softly. "Ok, your turn."

"I don't have any more. I've only got really good ones."

"Ok say a good one then."

"I wish I were a tear so i could start in your eyes, live on your face, and die on your lips."

Again, Mina fell back laughing, this time so hard that tears rolled down her face.

"What's so funny?" Kaiba asked genuinely surprised that his line causes that reaction.

"Good Lord. Did you hear yourself saying it? Oh that's rich. That's almost as bad as 'you must be the reason for global warming because you're hot' and 'I think I need to call heaven because they've lost one of their angels.'" Mina snorted and stopped when she saw Kaiba's face. "You don't really say that do you? Oh Lord you do! Egad man! Do you know what that would do to your reputation if that got out?"

"Watch it. I'm dangerous."

"Really? You know, I highly doubt that."

"It's perfectly true. I can win a game of Connect Four in three moves. Time waits for no man… Unless that man is Seto Kaiba." He grinned evilly.

"Can you **get** anymore up yourself?" Mina asked laughing.

_----In between all this witty and humorous partake, lets see how the gang is doing----_

"What are we going to do?!" Mokuba yelled stressed.

"I don't know. I don't even know where they are. I'm sure they're ok though. They might be on the other side of the island, or maybe they could be at the safe house or maybe they could be at home-" Yugi started to comfort him when Joey butted in.

"Or they could be dead, or they could be being tortured or could be falling to certain death in the water or they could – OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Joey yelled at Tea who had elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Oh NO!!! How are we ever going to find them!?!?!?!" Mokuba wailed stressed to breaking point. It was always him disappearing while Seto came to find him, NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND!

"It's ok Mokuba." Tea comforted. "Yugi and Joey are going to send two of their wing monsters each to see if they can find them right guys?" She said pointedly looking at them.

Yugi nodded while Joey opened his mouth to protest. One look from Mai shut him up though. Four winged monsters were called up and given instructions. As the four monsters flew off Mokuba looked up at Yugi and asked

"What if they can't find them?"

"Well, it will probably take them a few days but if they can't find my sister and your brother we're just going to have to go as fast as we can to Credo's castle and when we get there we'll ask him where they are. Sound good?"

Mokuba nodded.

"Don't worry Mokuba. They're tough people and can take care of themselves. You know that."

"It's not that they can't take on other people." Tea muttered under her breath. "Its more like I'm worried cause they might and up killing each other."

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Little did she know that what was happening was quite the contrary.


	9. Chapter 9: What Would Frodo Do?

_**Chapter 9**_

_**What Would Frodo Do?**_

**BTW!!! Please read the authors note. It's got some important stuff in it. TY! ******

**HEY!! Oh MY GOSH I haven't updated in like 4eva! I'm soo sorry. I've had a heap of stuff on and like loads of other stories that have suddenly hit it off. I know I know, no excuse really but whatever. And OMG!!! I've got like so many of other readers that have put this story in their favs and alerts so I'm eternally grateful. Never thought that any of my stuff would get that. BUT… yes, yes. I know. There's always a 'but'. But I have to say it. Can you guys please review? I'm so friggin happy you like it but I need to hear some reviews about whether it was good or not and what I need to improve. One more last thing. I've decided to change the Title of this story to "Countless Rescues" SO the next update will be in this title k? I'm still thinking about the summary. Anyway without further delay…**

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"Stupid, conceited, male chauvinistic pig…" Mina muttered, stalking through the forest. She had spent the last few hours in the northern forest, exploring. The tribe had warned her not to go through the Northern Forest as there were dangerous creatures nesting in its depths but she went heedlessly. Mina figured that she had her Sais and Duel Monsters to help her if the need arose. She swung her wooden stick around, the flame on the tip of it illuminating the horrible darkness.

'_Plus, I would welcome a fight.'_ Mina thought to herself. _'Anything to get my mind of that STUPID ass hole that calls himself Seto Kaiba. I just spent three perfect days with him and then he has to go and ruin it all. ARGH! I can't believe he went and did that.' _

Mina stalked off under a large tree and leant against it. She stared out into the gloom and bright yellow eyes seemed to stare out of everywhere. She began to realise that maybe coming in here wasn't such a good idea after all.

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'_Crap. I really shouldn't have done that. But I couldn't help it. Bloody hell! Does she have to be so fucking uptight. Maybe I should go say sorry. Wait, Seto Kaiba doesn't say sorry to anybody. But I can't help feeling bad… No. Stop. All right, fine. I better go find her.' _

Seto Kaiba groaned and jumped neatly out of his hammock that Mina promptly decided was his to sleep in the first night they were here in the year 1020. He walked out of their tiny hut and stretched. The clothes he was wearing was quite different from anything he usually wore but then again no one knew him here except for Mina and Kaiba wanted to show Mina that he wasn't a heartless asshole. As he stretched, the hem of the t-shirt he wore rose above his stomach, showing of his perfectly structured abs. The young women in the huts around him all started. Women are women after all, no matter whether you live in the 21st centaury or the year 1020. No matter what time you're in, a perfect body on a perfect male tends to make you go weak at the knees. To bad Mina wasn't there to acknowledge the sight as well. His long, stylish black tracksuit pants flowed over his long legs and the red stripe on the side of the pants continued down the leg until it reached his black shoes.

He walked around the village trying to get a clue as to which way the upset girl had gone. Soon he reached the Chamber of the Dark Star where Fallen Angel and Ahanu were talking about Fallen Angel's past.

"Where's Mina?" Kaiba demanded, walking into the chamber and facing the two.

"She said she was going out to the Northern Woods. You know, what you said hurt." Fallen Angel looked sternly at Kaiba.

"She went out to the Northern Forest? Today?" Ahanu asked worried.

"Yeah. That's what she told me."

"Oh no…"

"What's wrong?" Kaiba asked worriedly. No matter what he tells himself, subconsciously he knew that he liked Mina a lot and wanted to make sure she was ok.

"This is the time when Arillarachs breed. And they are particularly fierce in protecting their nests."

"Uh… What are Arillarachs?" Fallen Angel looked around nervously and Kaiba nodded in agreement.

"They are this land's native hunters. We are not the top of the food chain here. The Arillarachs are. They are built for killing. They are giant spiders about one and a half metres high and about one and a quarter metres long. They hunt by piercing their prey with their long pincers and eating them whole. Sometimes they inject a liquid into their prey, keeping them fresh until time to eat. But the worst time to come across them is during their breeding time. Then, they will do anything to take care of their young. The parents cannot eat for two months after the breeding and so to quell their horrible killing instinct, if they catch you, they will inject a different type of liquid into you. It is a poison, specific for the Arillarachs. The purple liquid enters your veins and kills you slowly. After being poisoned by the Arillarachs, you will only live for a span of two days and one night."

"SHIT!" Kaiba swore and ran outside. There, he flicked open and card and scanned it on his ankh's eyes. The card glowed and Blue Eyes appeared out, screeching its terrifying roar.

Kaiba climbed up onto its back and shouted his orders to it and the two sped away, followed closely by Fallen Angel.

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"Ok. So I wasn't thinking very clearly when I came out here." Mina backed away slowly from the incoming spider that was scuttling towards her.

It was almost exactly like Shelob from The Lord Of The Rings except that it was real and that it wasn't Frodo that was about to get stabbed, but Mina. _'What did Frodo do in this situation? Oh wait; he got pierced by its giant, hideous pincers. Not a good idea. Um… SHIT! What the hell am I supposed to do!?'_

Mina slowly edged her right hand to the place where she kept her Duel Monster card but the Arillarach didn't allow her to get that far. It hissed, blinked its thousands of disgusting eyes and lunged forward. Mina dodged to the side and edged backwards. Slowly she backed away from the incoming Arillarach. Suddenly she bumped into something hard. '_Great. A tree. Now what am I supposed to do?' _ Mina reached her hands down slowly to her belt and drew out her Sais. Now she felt safer. The Arillarach lunged at her, its massive pincers snapping at her face and Mina dodged out of the way. She flipped her Sais in her hands and plunged one of them deep into the Arillarach's body. It screeched and lunged back, taking one of Mina's Sais with it. It scuttled forward, slightly hurt and now hungry for Mina's blood. Her eyes went wide as it leapt for her head. Quickly she rolled out of the way and wrenched the Sai out of the Arillarach's body. Mina ran behind the giant monster and began thrusting both Sais, in and out of the Arillarach's body. It just screeched and flipped round, its many eyes blinking in her face. _'Jesus Christ! Does this thing ever die?!' _ The Arillarach snapped its foot out and threw Mina over its head, making her land right in front of a tree. She backed up into it and stood up, panting. The Arillarach slowly crept up to her, every one of its eyes staring at its prey. Mina stared back at it not knowing that another Arillarach was right on top of her, slowly climbing down the huge tree. Mina heard a loud snapping sound right beside her ear and she whirled round, looking straight into the face of a large Arillarach. She screamed in shock and fell to the ground just as the Arillarach pulled back its long sharp tongue back into its mouth, dripping with purple venom.

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A scream filled the air and it resonated all around the forest, eerily echoing all around Kaiba.

"Did you hear that?" he looked down at Blue Eyes whom he was riding on.

Blue eyes just nodded and flew faster. Fallen Angel looked around worriedly for any sight of the raven-head but nothing other than the piercing black of the forest. Without warning, Blue Eyes snapped to the right and sped up.

"What's the matter?" Fallen Angel looked at the huge white dragon next to her.

Its only response was a small indication with its head to dark part of the forest, in between the trees, where a small yellow glow was coming from. Fallen Angel's eyes widened and the three of them dodged up and down through the trees trying to get through the mess of trees.

"Look!" Kaiba yelled

As Blue Eyes, Fallen Angel and Kaiba got closer, they saw a horrible sight. About 50 Arillarach's surrounded a small body, which was lying on the ground barely breathing. Kaiba's breath hitched in his throat and urged Blue Eyes on. Blue Eyes let out a deafening roar and flew directly above the Arillarachs. Hissing and snapping their pincers, the Arillarachs jumped in the air, trying to attack Blue Eyes but to no avail.

"Blast them!" Kaiba yelled to the two powerful duel monsters.

"With pleasure!" Fallen Angel called and raised her hands up in the air.

Blue Eyes opened it mouth and a white surge of energy accumulated there. When enough energy and power was gathered, Blue Eyes let fly! A blast of white came from above and hit the surrounding Arillarachs. From the right, a huge ray of power came from Fallen Angel, striking at least 7 of the Arillarach's dead. The Arillarachs were not used to this kind of power. They screeched and scuttled away into the darkness. Blue Eyes landed and Kaiba sprinted towards Mina, who lay at the side, face pale. He pressed two fingers to her neck and felt her pulse.

"Just barely alive." He whispered.

He looked her over and saw the wound that the large Arillarach had given her. It was covered in a sticky purple substance.

"No…" Fallen Angel whispered walking over to her friend.

Kaiba slowly picked her up, bridal-style, and carried her to Blue Eyes, who helped Kaiba get on its back. Slowly the three of them carried the poisoned girl back to the village.

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Ahanu looked out of his hut to see the shape of a tall woman with wings on her back flying towards the village. Next to her, a giant white dragon flew, carrying a tall, straight-backed man who seemed to be carrying something. Ahanu ran out to meet them and his face fell as Kaiba jumped of Blue Eyes carrying the limp form of Mina. Kaiba looked at Ahanu and closed his eyes for a second. Slowly, he carried Mina to their hut and laid her on the bed, Blue Eyes and Fallen Angel following closely.

"Thanks Blue Eyes. We couldn't have saved her without you." Kaiba looked at his favourite Duel Monster and smiled weakly. "Here, have some rest." And with that, he called Blue Eyes back into its card and slipped it into the top of his deck. He turned to face Fallen Angel.

"Do you - "

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask."

"You were going to ask if I wanted to go back into my card and the answer is no."

"Fine. But do you have any idea how to cure her?"

"I don't know. She may have Magician of Faith in her deck. Tea gave it to her for a present when Tea decided she didn't want to duel anymore. Not that she duelled much before anyway."

Kaiba turned to the sleeping woman and slowly touched her arm. He slipped her deck out of the deck holder she was wearing on one of her two belts. Quickly, he shuffled through the deck until he found the one he was looking for. Snapping it in front of his ankh's eyes, the card glowed. Magician of Faith stood in front of him, her pink hair waving in the slight breeze that slipped through the open door. Kaiba motioned to Mina and Fallen Angel took her aside, whispering what happened to Mina. The Magician of Faith nodded.

"I do not know whether this will work or not. Do you know any other way to cure her?" she asked in a small voice.

"Ahanu said there was not." Fallen Angel replied.

"Alright."

Magician of Faith laid her hands over Mina's wound, which was just by her waist. Her hands glowed and so did Mina's wound. They stayed like that for about fifteen minutes or so until Magician of Faith took her hands away from Mina.

"This is all I can do. I have tried all my magic and I cannot do any more. I think she may live. The venom that was injected into her has all been sucked away. But she will have a very high fever for a long time and she will not wake up for a few days. But the danger still has not passed yet. I cannot do any more for my magic has run out and none of the other Duel Monsters can do anything as Mina nor you, Kaiba, have anything in your deck that can heal. You have that one thing in common at least."

"Is there anything we can do to make her better?" Fallen Angel asked.

"Yes. Make sure she is always warm. And make sure you moisten her brow and lips every few hours. Her lips will become dry and cracked while her brow will become to hot, which doesn't help with her fever. Always make sure there is enough food by her bedside, just in case she wakes up. When she does, she will be ravenous."

"Thank you." Fallen Angel clasped the Magician of Faith's hands in hers and smiled slightly. Kaiba just nodded.

"Now I must go. I am very tired and need to rest for a good five days. I really do hope she recovers. Mina was a very wonderful girl."

"She still is."

Magician of Faith nodded and glowed bright as she returned to her card. Fallen Angel looked out to the blackening sky and then looked back at Kaiba.

"I'm going to go hunt for some food as well as get some other types of food for us. Then I'm going to go to sleep in my room. I'm really tired. I'll be back first thing in the morning to give you the food. Make sure Mina's warm enough." She instructed and turned around.

Kaiba nodded and watched as Fallen Angel flew away. He turned his attention back to the woman lying on the bed. Her black hair lay all round her head, spreading out like a crown while the red highlights in her hair seemed to glow from the dying light. Her sharp, angular face looked peaceful as she lay there although tiny beads of sweat were coming out of her brow. She was wearing a pair of light blue jeans that fit her quite nicely, along with a white tank top. A necklace lay at her chest and Kaiba just realised that she never took it of. It was a beautiful design of a tear shape covered in a sapphire coloured glass.

There was a catch on the side and Kaiba couldn't help but feel a little curious. Giving Mina an apologetic look, he opened up the necklace and stared at three pictures. On the right was a picture of her grandfather, whose white hair was standing up at all ends while he drew a card from his deck. To the left was a picture of her parents, smiling joyfully. And in the middle lay a picture of Yugi and Mina. They looked very young, around the age of ten even. Yugi was carrying her and was in the process of spinning her around. Mina had a look of pure joy on her face and her smile was so large it could reach her eyes. Her eyes… They seemed to sparkle in the picture.

Kaiba looked at the sleeping woman who lay there and closed the locket. He placed it back onto her chest, accidentally brushing her bare skin of the top of her chest. **(A/N: Accidentally? Yeah Right Seto darling. You just keep thinking that eh?) **Mina began to shiver and Kaiba looked around for a blanket. Upon seeing one, he unfolded it and placed it over her and got up to close the door of the hut. He then closed the window. But the cold air was still getting in.

'_That's what happens when you live in a hut of sticks I guess. Ok its not sticks but still, its quite close.' _ He thought to himself.

Mina was still shivering as he walked up to her and now the shivering had gotten worse. Kaiba grabbed his coat out of his bag and wrapped it around her and then pulled the blankets over her. As he looked down at her, he got an uncontrollable need to just hold her. He pulled back the blankets and slipped down underneath them and wrapped his arms around the sleeping girl. Her shivering almost immediately went away. Her slow, steady breathing was a sort of lullaby for Kaiba and he found himself drifting off to sleep.

In the last moment of his consciousness, a thought entered his mind.

'_I love Minako Moto.'_


	10. Chapter 10: Bandit Trouble

_**Chapter 10**_

_**Bandit Trouble**_

Seto awoke to the sound of Mina mumbling in her sleep. She twisted and turned, sweating slightly from her brow. Seto hoisted himself up, until he was sitting with his back leaning on the flimsy headboard. He looked at the groaning woman beside him on the bed and hesitated. He sighed and decided to go for it, no matter what she would do to him after she woke up. He slid back under the covers and pulled her body towards his, enveloping her in the warmth of his body. He stroked her hair, whispering undefined words into her ear trying to calm her down, yet this action only intensified her moaning.

"Leave me alone!" Seto's head was close enough to Mina's to hear her mutter this under her breath. He almost thought she was talking to him until he realized he was dreaming. "No… No stop. Please…" She began to cry and Seto couldn't take it. What was she dreaming about that made her feel so bad?

Her muttering continued. "Yugi? Where are you? Please help me? He's back! No! Stop it!" Mina's voice rose higher and higher and she began to scream like she was in pain, all the while tears were running down her face.

Seto looked around in panic. He hadn't really been in this situation before. The closest thing he had ever got to comforting someone was when Mokuba woke up crying from a nightmare and came into his room seeking comfort. Even then, Seto didn't do much. He just sort of told Mokuba to suck it up and let him sleep in his bed. Seto wasn't really the comforting type. Before this, he was seen as a rich, arrogant tycoon and he liked it like that. But now, after meeting Mina, he had changed unconsciously. Seto looked down at the crying girl, who had now wrapped her hands around her body. Her knees had risen up and were now hugging her chest and she was curled in a defensive ball, as if trying to hide her body from someone. To Seto, she looked like someone who had just been beaten or ….

'_Or raped.' _Seto thought grimly and stared at the woman shivering next to his body. She didn't look like the type who would allow herself to be raped or to be abused. Maybe it was just a dream, but to Seto it looked like she was re-living the past.

"Help me someone! Get off me! Please! Someone will find me here and you will be…" Something had cut her off. "Stop it Ke - " Seto listened to her in anticipation. She was about to say her attacker's name and Seto wanted to know it so if the man were real he would be able to kill him.

Mina was now thrashing about in the bed and Seto grabbed onto her to keep her safe. Mina pushed him away as if he had hurt her. Suddenly, her attitude to Seto completely changed and she buried her head into his t-shirt.

"Yugi! Yugi!" She sobbed clinging onto him while still sleeping. "He… he…he did it. Keith… Bandit Keith."

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'_Bandit Keith?' _Kaiba held onto the sobbing woman while she calmed down in her sleep. Soon her sobs turned to sniffles which in time also faded away to the occasional hiccup. '_Wasn't he the one…' _

Flashback 

_**Mina looked around and thought she saw a familiar face under a hooded cloak. She grabbed Yugi's hand and held it hard. Yugi looked round and saw him too. 'Bandit Keith. I cannot believe he is here. We must stay away from him least he comes after Mina again. I will NOT allow that.' Yugi held Mina close reassuringly and the others gave them strange looks. Yugi mouthed to them the name of the evil man that had hurt Mina and the gang nodded and kept a look out. Seto Kaiba and Mokuba were out of it though. They had no idea who this Bandit Keith was and why everybody else was so tense when his name was said. Just as Mokuba started to ask about him, a voice rose above all the chatter…**_

End of Flashback 

'_That's why they were so tense around him. I wonder what he did. I have a good idea but I better get the details before jumping to conclusions. After all, that's what I'm renowned for. Smarts and cool calculations. Regardless, he must have done something terrible to make Mina react like that. I just can't see her succumbing to that man. She's so tough…' _Seto's thoughts were interrupted by Fallen Angel walking into the hut.

Fallen Angel looked at the position Seto and Mina were in and raised an eyebrow. Seto looked at the girl next to him. He was curled around her, his arm placed over her body holding her protectively while she unconsciously nestled closer into the curve of his body. Seto looked at Fallen Angel and shrugged. He slowly eased himself out of the bed and stretched.

"Do I even want to know what happened?" Fallen Angel asked, knowing nothing had happened but wanting to see Seto's reaction.

"Who's Bandit Keith and what did he do to Mina?" Seto came out directly and Fallen Angel started back in surprise.

"How do you know him?"

"Mina had a nightmare about him in her sleep…"

Seto told her about what had passed through the night and Fallen Angel looked at her friend worriedly.

"I thought she would be ok after all this time. I guess she was just bottling it all up." She muttered under her breath.

Seto looked at her curiously and Fallen Angel gave him a reproachful look. "I don't know if I should tell it to you. If you want to know, you're going to have to ask Mina. Now go and eat with Ahanu. You must be hungry."

Seto wasn't really but he left anyway, thinking about what had just passed.

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"But what about the southern forest?" Seto asked Ahanu as the walked into the door of Mina's hut.

"There is no sign of anything strange but - " Ahanu stopped abruptly.

Seto turned to look at what Ahanu was staring at. Mina sat weakly in bed, propped up by a few poorly made pillows. She was talking to Fallen Angel with a sad look on her face but when the men came in she stopped and bestowed them with a feeble smile. Seto quickly walked over to her and sat by her side while Ahanu wished her a speedy recovery and quickly left giving the three some privacy.

Fallen Angel took one look at Seto's face and smiled internally. "I'll leave you two to chat." She walked out of the door, spread her wings and shit of towards her Chamber.

"How're you feeling?" Seto asked Mina, cautiously not wanting to show her what he was feeling for her at that moment.

Mina sat there, pale and weak but still looking like a queen. Her green eyes were sparkling with life and her smile was as fetching as ever. Just being around her made Seto feel light-headed.

"I'm ok. It was a bit stupid to go off by myself I guess."

"Damn straight. Never do that again!"

"Is Seto Kaiba worried about someone?"

"I –uh No. I'm just saying that 'cause if I end up going back to our time without you, my brother, Yugi and your other friends would kill me. Not that they would be able to."

"You are so up yourself. Just admit it. You were worried about me."

"I was not."

"Fallen Angel told me that you slept in the same bed as me and whenever I shivered or anything, you would hold me and make sure I was ok."

At this, Seto felt his cheeks slightly redden. He calmed his thoughts and pushed the heat away from his cheeks. "I – I"

Mina began to laugh and Seto joined in. "Thank you Seto."

Seto's heart skipped a beat. She had called him Seto again. Not Kaiba but Seto. He still remembered the time when she first called him Seto.

Flashback 

_**Mina looked up to see that the Tyranno had cut her off. She turned her head wildly looking for a place to escape but to no avail. The Tyranno charged towards her, mouth open ready to chop down on its sweet prey. Just as the Tyranno snapped at her, Mina was thrown back by a large force and landed on a soft (well softer then the concrete) mass who gave a loud groan as he hit his back on the concrete pillar. Mina craned her head back to see Seto Kaiba, with his eyes closed, groaning. His hands were still around her waist where he grabbed her to safety. She quickly pried open his hands and saw that the Tyranno was coming back. She touched her hand onto Kaiba's face urging him to open his eyes. **_

"_**Wake up, wake up! Please Kaiba. Kaiba? Kaiba hurry." Mina looked back to see the Tyranno picking up speed and nearly reaching them. "Seto!!!!" she screamed.**_

_**Kaiba's blue eyes snapped open…..**_

_**She had then gotten out of his grip and laid a soft, warm hand on his cheek and urged him to get up. 'That parts not so weird.' She had called him Seto. 'Ok that's the weird part. Definitely.'**_

End of Flashback 

"Mina, you should rest."

"Yeah, I kinda feel tired."

"I'll bring you some food too."

"Thanks, that'd be great."

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The days passed peacefully, with Mina resting until she got to full strength again and Seto journeying with Blue Eyes and Ahanu, looking for the portal back to their own time. Every night though, Mina, Seto, Fallen Angel and Blue Eyes would sit by a small fire in Fallen Angel's Sacred Chamber and talk. That night, Blue Eyes lay contently by the wall, dozing off by the fire while Fallen Angel leant back on his white body, sleeping. Mina and Seto sat by the fire, chatting quietly.

"What do you think Duel Monsters dream about?" Seto asked Mina.

"I dunno, but I'm pretty sure I know what Fallen Angel's dreaming about."

"What?"

"Dark Magician." Mina giggled.

"Hey, isn't it funny that although you, Yugi and I all have Egyptian God Cards, that we've never actually called them forth before."

"That's 'cause we know what destruction they can cause and because we prefer out original cards."

"Remember the Pyramid of Light?"

"Don't even mention that adventure. It freaked me out to no end."

"Freaked you out? I was the one who's mind got taken over."

"At the time, I thought it served you right for trying to get back at my brother."

"At the time? What about now huh?"

"I still do. Why can't you get over the fact that Yugi is better than you at duelling and just leave it at that. You'd probably get better if you accept it instead of being such a brat."

"I think I already have… I mean staying her for this time sort of taught me that." Seto stayed quiet for a while not mentioning that staying here with Mina taught him about care and accepting.

The two stayed quiet, staring into the flickering fire.

"You know that only good that came out of that adventure?" Mina asked, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?" Seto made a noise with his deep, strong voice.

"I got to fly in Pegasus' chopper. That's not it actually. He dropped us off at this really nice place for a while, while he arranged a new driver. It was like somewhere on his island. I got to swim in a crystal pool with a waterfall above me. I loved that."

Seto looked at her and smiled briefly and turned his face away before she saw him smiling. He cleared his throat. "There's a natural hot spring near the village that I came across while looking for a portal. It might not be a crystal pool but it has a really pretty waterfall… If you're feeling up to it, I could take you tomorrow morning."

"No way! You serious?! I love you!" Mina leant over and gave Seto a hug, not knowing the effect she was having on him.

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The sun was just rising above the forest as Seto and Mina walked along the village. Mina, dressed in a tank top and her denim mini shorts while Seto was dressed in a pair of track-pants and a top. Seto had gone to Ahanu the night before and borrowed 2 hand-weaved towels as well as woven basket filled with food. As their packs had fallen through the portal with them, both Mina and Seto had their bathing suits with them and they walked silently together towards the west of the village, along a dusty path. Seto lead Mina to a clearing and in the middle of it lay a rock pool. No, it wasn't a rock pool per say. It was more of a hot spring. A large waterfall fell down to it, its waters spraying slightly out of the pool. The bottom of the waterfall, frothed white and Mina gave a slight squeal. She ran towards the water and touched it experimentally. It was warm.

Mina sighed and dipped her feet into the water. She laughed softly and Seto smiled slowly, loving the way she laughed at the smallest things. He sat by the side and watched as Mina stood up. His eyes widened slightly as she pulled of her top and shorts to reveal a white bikini. The top was tied up from the back and it suited her elegant cat-like form perfectly. She stepped into the water and walked through it until her whole body was submerged. Only her head was above and she tilted it back, resting it on the buoyancy of the water. She relaxed and floated on the water, her black hair fanning around her head like a glorious crown. Seto his heat beat a little faster and a little shiver went through his body as well as a feeling a little down south. He had never actually felt this way about a girl before. Sure, he's had loads of girlfriends before. I mean, come on. He was voted the world's most eligible bachelor for three years running. Girls practically threw themselves on him. Yet Mina was so different from the girls he would usually go for. His usual girls would complement him and swoon on him while Mina simply ignored him sometimes.

Mina stared at Seto who was lost in his own little world. She was feeling particularly happy today and smiled as she saw him sitting under the tree, thinking intently. She splashed some water at him and he jerked his head up. Mina giggled and motioned for him to come into the water. He sighed, as if she were a burden and stood up. Mina wondered what he was going to wear into the water. She watched as he pulled of his t-shirt displaying his perfectly chiselled abs and biceps. Again the thought of when the uptight CEO would have time to work out crossed her mind. Yes he was really, **really** good looking but Mina didn't like him. Couldn't like him. For even if she did, she knew Joey, Tristen and possibly Yugi would never approve and she wouldn't be able to live with that. Seto had just pulled of his track-pants to reveal a pair of jammers. They were a sort of men's swimwear. It was made out of the usual bathing suit material except that it reached up to his knees. Not that Mina was expecting the underwear style bathing suits. Somehow imagining Seto Kaiba strutting around in a male model bathing suit shoot didn't come into her mind very easily. What he was wearing right now suited him.

Seto walked slowly into the water and relaxed as the warm water un-tensed his muscles.

"So what were you thinking about so deeply over there?" Mina asked swimming closely to him. Seto moved slightly away from her, as her naked stomach that close to his was making him feel slightly hot.

"I – er. Nothing. Actually no. I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Who's Bandit Keith?"

Mina's eyes darkened as Seto said this and she fell quiet.


	11. Chapter 11: The Past Hurts

_**Chapter 11**_

_**The Past Hurts, No Matter What**_

**Hey you guys. Just a quick note before you start. To the middle of the chapter, there's going to be some adult content. Nothing too much, but just a slight warning. This was on of the reason's the rating is M. **

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The sunlight was just flitting through the tree leaves of the forest when Minako Moto and Seto Kaiba lay in the quiet hot spring that lay hidden. If you moved further east of them, you would have seen the small village lying in an open field in the middle of the large forest. The straw huts were spread out in an orderly fashion. Nearby you could see the glint of white and black as Blue Eyes White Dragon and Fallen Angel fought, practicing their moves. In the hot springs, Mina was lying on her back with her eyes closed and body submerged with a pained look on her face while Seto stood in the water, a concerned look straying across his face. His chest could be seen above the water; droplets glistening across the toned chest and chiseled biceps making him a sight to behold. His ice blue eyes bored holes into Mina's face. Mina felt those eyes on her face and she opened her own bright purple eyes, so similar to her brothers. She looked into those eyes and thought how different they looked from before. Before, when she looked into them, she used to think they were like icebergs, deep and harsh; ready to sink you without a fleeting glance back. Now when she looked at them she saw crystals, beautiful and shining, full of life. She wondered what had changed him.

"I suppose you have the right to know… I mean you stayed through my moaning and groaning AND you looked after me when you didn't have to." Mina reluctantly admitted.

'_I did it 'cause I wanted to.'_ But out loud, Seto didn't say a word. He just stared into the girl's eyes.

"Ok, well settle down for a long story."

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_I was different when I was 16. I don't know if you knew me then. Even if you did, you wouldn't recognize me now. I mean, yeah ok I look the same but I was a completely different person. I was meek, quiet and I relied on Yugi for almost everything. I had just turned 16 and we had this massive party for me at Grandpa's. All my friends were there including all the gang. Then a guy stepped into the room, asking for Grandpa. He said he wanted to buy something. You know Grandpa's house was also a games shop right? Well anyway, Grandpa asked me to serve him so I went up to the counter and looked around for the guy. He was standing there with in jeans, a leather jacket, chains all over his clothes and a hood over his head. He asked for a deck and said that I should probably ask someone else there for advice 'cause a girl wouldn't know a thing about dueling. Of course, I gave him a look and showed him how wrong he was. Hey, I wasn't that different. _

_Anyway, he was impressed by my skills and started talking to me. He pulled back his hood and showed a mass of dirty blonde hair. Then he began flirting. Of course, I, being a typical teenage girl with hormones, began to flirt back. What 16 year old girl could resist a charming, good looking bad boy? Yugi noticed and came over. After sending the guy of with a huge display, he began to tell me to stay away from him. I didn't know anything about this guy's past escapades but Yugi and the others sure did. They didn't tell me about it but they told me to stay away from him. Of course I got angry. I had a right to like whoever I wanted. _

_I met the guy on the street again a few days later. He invited me for lunch and so I went. He told me his name was Keith. We talked during lunch and I began to find out a lot about him. Now that I think about it, everything he told me was a pile of bullshit. But I didn't know better then and Keith can be very charming when he wants to be. He showed me how good he was at dueling and I showed him a thing or two as well. _

Mina broke off and gave a small smile. Looking up into the sky, she sighed and leant against the wall of the hot spring. Seto, sensing her disturbance, moved closer towards Mina. He leaned against the same wall; a meter away. Mina gave a small smile and moved towards him. She leaned her head against his shoulder and gave a small shudder. Kaiba was about to open his mouth to speak when Mina gave a small sigh and continued; the tremor of her voice sending vibrations up his arm, towards his neck. Seto gave a tiny shudder from his neck and leaned contently against Mina while she spoke.

_Time passed and I began to spend more and more time with Keith. In secret of course, cause Grandpa and Yugi didn't want me to hang out with him. The more I spent time with Keith, the more I thought he was amazing. I was so infatuated with him. One day, he took me for a ride in his car. He took me to the beach and we sat there for a while, just enjoying ourselves in the silence. I've always remembered this moment. It made what happened even worse. He leant over and kissed me. I won't go into too much detail. I figure it'd be way too awkward for you. But I remember kissing back and we spent a time in that car just kissing. Then he whispered in my ear. 'I love you.' Oh God. You have no idea how I felt then. It was like I didn't have a care in the world. My parents didn't die, my brother wasn't in danger, and my friends didn't like Keith. All that mattered was that he loved me. He dropped me back home but not before promising a date and giving a kiss. I told Yugi. I had to. I relied on him so much then. I needed him to accept and allow. I think Yugi was too nice then. If he didn't accept and love his little sister to bits, he mightened have said it was ok and this mightened have happened. But he did. He wanted me happy and so he accepted that I was going out with Keith. _

_I began to spend almost all my time with Keith. You know the usual stuff that you do when you date? Although I __**think**__ he was getting me into trouble but I didn't know it then. All I knew was that I was ok with Keith at my side. Nothing else mattered. Yugi, Joey and the others were concerned as they knew what happened before with Keith but they couldn't tell me. I think Yugi tried a few times. Twice he stopped after seeing me so happy and another few times when he tried to tell me, I refused to listen, thinking only of __**my**__ Keith. _

_I adored him but he didn't care about me. All he thought of me was a trophy at his side. He had got the best catch in Domino City. I didn't notice any of this though. God I was so pathetic then. His friends jeered and leered at me, making suggestive looks and actions. Of course, I was scared and looked to Keith for protection but he didn't do a thing until one of the guys got really close. Then he pulled me away. I guess I was his property and no one else's. I didn't see it that way then. He had protected me from the evil man. I cannot believe how stupid I was. Soon things got worse. His friends made fun of him, making jokes about how he didn't have me yet and that why he hadn't taken me and had his fun with me. At first he growled and ignored this. But as the jeering got worse, so was his reaction to them. They got to him. I could see it in his eyes. But he never showed it in his demeanor. I didn't believe he would do such a thing to me unless I wanted him to so I thought I was safe. Hpmh. I thought wrong._

_One night, he turned up at my house and asked if I wanted to go out for dinner. He was going to take me to Piesta Coul, the restaurant near the Domino Park. I wasn't sure as Yugi had gone out and so was Grandpa. They had both told me specifically not to go out. Keith pressured me into it and so I agreed. I called Yugi up and told him I was going out for dinner with Keith. I didn't let Yugi say yes or no. I just told him I was going out and to pick me up at ten pm. Keith and I then drove of to the restaurant. Keith didn't talk much that while night. He just sat there eating and thinking and occasionally looking at me and giving a slightly evil smile. I was beginning to get a little nevous. _

_After dinner had finished, he told me he wanted to show me something in the park. I was a bit hesitant. I wasn't stupid. I knew that the park was a bad place to go to at night. But Keith reminded me that I was with him. What could go wrong when I was with him? Oh so much, but I didn't know then. So I left with him but left a message at the restaurant for Yugi saying Keith had taken me to the park to show me something. Then I followed Kieth into Domino Park. He brought me to a place where not many people were but it still could be seen from the street. Probably to lure me into a false sence of security. The street lights shone dimly in the dark, illuminating slight parts of trees. I asked if this was where he was going to show me the thing. He said no and grabbed my wrist and ran. He borught me into a secluded part of the park and at that point I was getting really uncomfortable. Not scared mind you. Some small part of my mind thought he was going to propose to me. _

Mina stopped for a moment and gave a shaky laugh. Then she stopped. Seto could feel her shaking as her body was pressed onto his, unconsiously. After going through all those psycologist classes Gozaburo Kaiba put him though, Seto knew heaps about the mind. Mina was scared and so needed something like a security blanket to keep her safe. He didn't mind bein her saftey blanket. He wrapped his arm around her protectivly and she pushed her body slightly closer towards him. Her chest moved up and down as Mina tried to calm herself down. The water swirled against the two bodies, warming them up and soothing the nerves. Mina continued.

_He grabbed my arm and pulled me roughly towards him and crushed his mouth onto mine. He held onto my wrist while doing that and he bruised it badly. I tried to wrench myself away but he held on fast._

'_Keith, let go. You're hurting me.'_

_All he did, though, was grin evilly and pull me in closer, pushing me hard against a tree. His body pushed against mine so I couldn't move. He pressed his mouth onto mine and his hands began to move. He started to unbutton my shirt and when I realised what he was doing I began to struggle. He pulled away from me and looked at me._

'_Don't you want to do this honey?'_

'_I'm not ready yet Keith. I don't want to do it yet.' I muttered._

'_Well, too late sweatheart. I'm not taking no for an answer. I'll have you whether you want me or not. And there's nothing you can do to stop me.'_

'_Keith. Please don't do this. Please stop!' I pleaded._

_But he ripped of my shirt and began to hitch up my skirt and all the while kissing me all over. I struggled and pushed at him but he was too strong. All these thoughts were going through my mind and I couldn't bare it. _

Mina began to cry and she turned towards Seto's chest and buried her face under his neck. She began to sob and Kaiba held onto her as tight as he could. Mina couldn't stop talking now, not for Seto's sake but for her own. She had to get out what she had kept bottled up tight inside her for so long. The only one she had actually told all the details of that night to was Yugi. Mina began to talk softly, all the while crying into Seto's neck. Seto sqeezed her hand and held it tight as she continued, sqeezing it encouriginly although the disgust of what happened to her washed over him like cold water.

_Keith stopped fumbing with my skirt long enough to undo his belt and pull down his pants. Then he…. He… _

'_Leave me alone!' I screamed. 'No no stop…Please.'_

Seto recognized this from the dream she was having a few days back.

_I began to cry and scream while all the while Keith… Oh Seto, it hurt all over. It was nothing like it said in the books. It hurt and I couldn't stop myself from crying which only gave him more satisfaction. _

'_Yugi! Yugi where are you?' I began to scream for my brother, hoping, praying that he would come to save me. _

'_Your brother won't save you now. He won't know where you are.' Keith panted._

_Then I remembered the message to my brother I left on his phone and the message I left at the restaurant, telling him Keith took me to the park. I knew it was way after what Yugi said he would pick me up at. Yugi didn't trust Keith and so he would come looking for me. I knew it. My big brother would save me. All that time Keith continued._

'_Help me someone! Get off me! Please! Someone will find me here and you will be…' Keith jerked hard and I screamed in pain. 'Stop it Ke - '_

_Just then voices came out from the side of the park. I could recognise them. It was Yugi. Yugi was here! Keith gave one last hard thrust and drew himself up. He looked at me with one evil grin, got himself ready and ran away. Everything hurt all over. I couldn't even hold myslef up. I colasped on the hard, earth ground. I felt so cold and alone. I wrapped my knees against my chest and hugged my arms around them. I just lay there and sobbed. I cried and cried until Yugi and Joey came running through the bushes. They gasped when they saw me, lying on the floor, naked and bruised._

_I grabbed onto Yugi's shirt as he knelt over me. 'Yugi! Yugi! He… he did it. Ban… bandit Keith.' I managed to sob out. I could see Yugi's face get older right in front of me. _

_Joey wanted to go off right away and find Keith but Yugi stopped him. They wrapped my up in Yugi's jacket and helped me into my skirt. Yugi carried me home and put me in my bed. I slept. I slept for days and days until my body healed. Although, all my physical wounds had healed, all my mental ones didn't. It was days before I even mentioned Keith's name. Only a month later did I tell Yugi about what happened. I found out that Keith had been put into jail and I felt safe again. A few months later, I began taking martial arts classes. Soon I became a black belt at Karate and Tai Kwon Do. I even trained with knives and swords. I won championships and became national champion. I fought against all sorts of people and was never scared of any one of them. I became basically what I am right now. But even until today, the moment I think of Keith, I get scared. The day you saved me for the first time, the day with the giant Dark Tyranno attacked us. That day, we saw Keith again. I got so scared. I became the shell that I was a few years back, hiding behind Yugi. Oh God Seto. I can't deal with him. _

Mina's story had ended and she was sobbing into Seto's neck. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and his were wrapped around her waist. Seto rested his chin onto the top of her head and he noticed that they were the perfect hight for each other. Her head came exactly under his chin, so they fit together like a jigsaw. He would have quite enjoyed this position but for the fact that the girl he was holding was crying into him and that he was shaking with rage from what happened to her. He hopped Yugi and the Mutt made good work of that bastard because if they didn't, he would. He couldn't believe anyone could do such a thing to Mina. She seemed so different now, so vulnerable. He held her in his arms and slowly rocked her, moving to the rhythm of the beating water. Her breathing slowed and her sobs ceased until they became sniffles and then slight hitches of the breath. Finally, she stopped altogether and just rested her head onto his chest.

The two stood like that for a few minutes thinking about what had just passed.

"I'm sorry for making you tell me." Seto finally broke the silence.

"No, its ok. I needed to get it of my chest sooner of later. And plus, since when does Seto Kaiba say sorry?"

'_That's the Mina I know.' _Kaiba thought. He bowed his head slightly and winked at her.

"C'mon. Let's go back. Blue Eyes and Fallen Angel will start to worry. And I'm getting all prune-like." Mina sighed and heaved herself out of the water.

She pulled on a towel and handed one to Seto, deliberatly not looking at his chest. She slipped into her shorts and tee and was about to walk of when Seto caught her arm.

"I packed all this food for nothing? That's nice."

"I don't know. I told you, they're going to worry."

"I doubt you care about that. All you thought was that your skin was going to get wrinklely. Well, if you think about it, this way you can get a tan while you sit out here and eat."

"Hmmm…. Ok."

Mina placed herself down on the mat opposite from Seto and accepted the sandwich he handed her. Seto himself lay back on a tree, a sandwich in hand and a fruit in the other. He rested his head back onto the tree trunk and began to tell Mina about one of Mokuba's adventures when they were at the orpahnage. Mina lay on her stomach watching Seto's Adam's apple move ever so sightly as his deep, smooth, baritone voice flowed out from his mouth.

Once the sun hit the middle of the sky, the two regrettably rolled up the mat and trudged back to the hut where they spent the day, practicing thir duelling with Fallen Angel and Blue Eyes.


	12. Chapter 12: Ringing Thoughts

_**Chapter 12**_

_**Ringing Thoughts**_

**A/N: I had actually given up on this story. I haven't watch Yu Gi Oh in forever. Not since the series with Yugi in it ended. But, surprisingly people are still reading this. SO, I figured let's just continue and hope they forgive me for a lesser reference to the actual yugioh cards. **

'_Oh gods. She's so amazing. I can't believe it but I am in love with Yugi's little sister. Ok. Maybe love is too strong a word but I really, really like her. I hate this stupid feeling. It's such a weakness. I'm not supposed to feel like this. The Seto Kaiba that I used to know never feels like this. The girls are supposed to feel like this about me. Argh! I don't even know what I'm feeling! I've never felt this feeling before. Great… that sounded like a corny love story line.' _

Thoughts flashed through Seto Kaiba's mind as he watched Minako dance in the firelight. The pair had been invited to a moonlight ceremony with the tribe. It was a traditional ceremony they had every year to honour the Dark Star A.K.A Mina's Fallen Angel. This year, now that Fallen Angel was actually there to join them, the ceremony and feast was the best it had ever been. The traditional part of the ceremony had finished and now came the celebrating. All the people of the tribe came up around the fire and danced. Mina had been dragged up by one of her friends in the tribe and was now dancing happily oblivious of the stares she was getting from most of the males in the vicinity which of course included Seto Kaiba.

The celebrations continued into the depths of night until all that were left were Mina and her group of friends, dancing by the fire, Kaiba and of course the Angel herself. Kaiba had refused to join in with the revelry and had sat the entire night musing.

"It can hurt you know."

Kaiba looked up and nodded a greeting to Fallen Angel who dropped down beside him. "What can hurt?"

"Thinking so hard."

"Maybe for you or Wheeler. Definitely not for me."

Fallen Angel laughed. "So may I ask what you were thinking so hard about?"

"You may." He answered and fell silent.

Fallen Angel raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Right. Will you tell me what you were thinking so hard about? Or maybe who is a much more apt word."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"Oh come on. You've been staring at Mina all night and if your eyes weren't mentally undressing her, they were shooting bullets into the other men around her staring at her."

"I have **not** been mentally undressing her." _Liar, liar. _

Fallen Angel snorted. "Ok sure but you didn't deny that you have been staring at her."

Seto Kaiba was silent.

"You also cannot deny that you've been love sick over her for almost as long as we've been here. You don't show it cause you're so bloody repressed, but you are aren't you?"

Kaiba winced. _She's right. Can't deny a thing._

"Bloody Hell!" Kaiba started, jerking as Fallen Angel exploded. Her voice softened but still held the same amount of force. "If you don't kiss her sometime soon and make me **continue** to suffer through this I will **have** to kill you."

"No. I won't. I can't. No" He shook his head vehemently, blue eyes darting back to the dancing girl throwing seductive shadows on the ground. _I want to._

"Look. You never know what's going to happen if you don't try. Just once. It may end good, it may end bad. I don't pretend to know her mind. But you have to try." Fallen Angel looked at him sympathetically.

"Or I'll drop dead with frustration." She added with a wry smile as she flew up into the dark sky, black wings blending into the night.

Kaiba stared at Mina for a second before slipping off back to the hut.

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Mina sat thinking, hands busy, sliding a cloth rhythmically across the prongs of her Sais. They had been gone for too long. A week and a half was much too long to be away from her brother and her friends. Seto must be worried about Mokuba, although he hides it away from her. She leaned a head back on the wall behind the bed. Her lids closed over the chocolate irises. They had arrived by a black hole so why wouldn't a black hole send them back again.

She rose excitedly, striding towards the door before stopping in her tracks. _There have been no black hole sightings at all. Seto would have probably already thought of that. However, no one's looked in the Northern Forest. Not really anyway. If we managed to get deep enough I'm positive we'd find a black hole. _

She smiled as she heard Kaiba arrive back from his flight with Blue Eyes. She couldn't wait to tell him her plan. _He might not agree at first but he'll see the sense in all of this. He must want to go back and see Mokuba. He might have already thought of this. I mean he did spend a whole week and a half looking for something to get us home. _

Kaiba walked into the room and was met with his Mina waiting by the door, her glorious smile pasted on her face. He groaned and pushed past her. He hated internal struggles and had little to do with them until he met this infuriating wench. Now all he had were internal struggles. He **hated** arguing with himself. He never won.

"Ok I thought of something. Maybe you've already thought of it but - you ok?"

Kaiba grunted. Great… now he was developing into a pig. What happened to the old Seto Kaiba? Witty comeback and death glare was long gone now. He strode around the room hands wringing through his hair. Gone was the calm and collected man. Gone was the god of silence and glares. In his place stood a man who was threatened by a mere girl. Granted, this girl had the power to make him drop where he stood…

"Mina, I – You, I should - "

Mina laughed, the sound wringing in his ears. "Going to finish your sentence any time soon?"

"Yeah…"

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know if I should be doing this." Kaiba growled, a low guttural sound coming from deep in his chest."

"What? Hey, seriously what is it?" Mina looked at him, concerned etched on her face.

"I – Fallen Angel told me to do it and I - "

Mina laughed softly, her nose wrinkling slightly. He'd never noticed these things about her before.

"I don't know whether to be relieved or afraid. You know her. I'll kill her if she'd said anything. It must have been bad to rile you up so much."

Kaiba slumped against the wall, staring at the ceiling. Why was this so hard? He'd kissed girls before. Many many girls in fact.

_Yeah but they weren't her._

He agreed with his inside voice. The others wanted that kiss. They reciprocated it. They threw themselves on him. With Mina, he didn't even know if she liked him in that way. Heck, sometimes he wondered if she liked him in any way.

Mina walked up close to the tall figure leaning against the wall. "What did Fallen Angel ask you to do?" she asked softly.

_Just do it. How bad can it be? No, it wouldn't be bad. It would be glorious just to feel her lips pressing against mine. After that, whatever happens, I'll deal. I just need this. Do it. Do it. Now. _

Kaiba shot of the wall and pressed in close towards Mina. She jumped back startled but his large warm hands snaked around her waist and pulled her back towards him, pressing her warm body against his chest. He dropped his face so close to hers he could count each individual eyelash framing those pools of brown. He leant over, skimming his lips across her jaw-line, trailing up towards her ear.

"This." His warm breath tickled her ear as he whispered.

Drawing his lips down, he peppered soft kisses back down her jaw line until his lips pressed the side of hers. He paused for a second, heady and drunk on the feeling. He breathed in her delicious smell of lavender and something else, so alluring, so sweet. He watched as her eyes opened wide, startled. But he couldn't wait, he was so close. Slowly he pressed his lips onto hers and closed his eyes.

Euphoria and the taste of her filled his head, driving every other coherent thought out of his head. All that he wanted to do was to taste more of her, have more of her in him. His tongue snaked out and gently flicked across her lips. Mina gasped and Kaiba dove. He grabbed the opportunity and his tongue snaked into her mouth, tasting her. A low moan escaped as her taste filled his mouth. He felt her hands, so small and delicate creep up around his neck, burying her fingers in his hair. He deepened the kiss, pulling her closer though she was already pressed up to him hard.

Mina fell closer into him, hands gripping his soft brown hair. Her tongue danced with his, playing the game of sensuality and desire. She listened to his groan and echoed with one of her own.

_This feels so good. This feels right. This feels – _

_No!_

_I can't!_

Kaiba felt her stiffen beneath his arm, her arms dropping from his hair. She pulled away from him, hands pushing against his chest. She looked at him, the two of the breathless.

"I- I'm sorry. I can't. I just can't. It won't happen. I'm sorry."

Mina squeezed her eyes shut, breathing hard before dashing out of the hut.

_I can't. There is no way Joey, Tristan or my brother would forgive me. I'm not going to risk their friendship for Kaiba. I won't. _

She dashed her eyes and pulled herself through the village, ignoring the stares of the brown skinned friends she had learnt to like.

_I can't. _

_I won't. _

_I'm sorry. _

"Mina? Mina! What's wrong?"

Fallen Angel gripped Mina's arm and sent her stumbling back and into her embrace.

"What wrong my friend? What is it?"

Mina drew in a deep breath. _I have to be strong. I am NOT going to cry over this. NOT over Seto Kaiba. NOT over a kiss. I fought tooth and nail to get stronger and I will __**not**__ break it all down now._

"Nothing. Nothing. No, I- Seto Kaiba kissed me."

Fallen Angel drew in a sharp breath, the hiss whistling around their ears. "I take it you didn't reciprocate it then."

"No. I - "

"You did reciprocate it?"

"Yes I did but… I can't. I can't do this with him. I **wont.**" Mina said the last word, strongly, forcefully. The opposite of what she felt inside. "Do you mind coming with me into the Northern Forest? I need to- I need to be alone for a while and you can help protect me."

Fallen Angel smiled sadly and placed Mina on her back. Rising, the Angel and the girl fled into the dark forest.

"Do not blame him for it."

"Hmm?"

"Seto Kaiba. Do not blame him for what he did. I told him to do it. I told him to act on his impulses. He had to try."

"I know."

"Do you like him my friend? His feelings, do you return them?"

"I – No. No I don't."

"I see." But she did not see. They had spent the last week staring at each other, laughing and at least for Kaiba, yearning. It mustn't have been the same for Mina.

The two flew deeper and deeper, avoiding the ground and low branches, easy spots for Arillarachs to attack from.

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"Well, NEVER expect me to save you AGAIN!"

Seto Kaiba reached up and pulled his hair back away from his eyes.

_Great… Now I'm reduced to yelling threats into thin air. _

A fake threat. No matter what he told himself, no matter how much he wished to hate that girl, he couldn't. Every time she fell, he wanted to be the one to pick her up and hold her. Every time she got upset with him, he wanted to go down on his knees and apologise. But he couldn't. Not now. Not when she pushed him away so readily. Seto Kaiba had his pride.

_Yes, and that was what made her dislike you in the first place. Your god damn pride._

Kaiba slid down onto the floor and squeezed his eyes shut. He really should hate her. He should push her away and act even more aloof than usual. No one rejects Seto Kaiba. What was going to happen to them now? They were – as much as he hated to say it, or would have hated saying previously – friends. And now he had brought this incredible large wall in between them, it may go back to the way it was.

_Good. That'd be better than how awkward it's really going to be. The two of us, alone, with this immeasurable awkwardness in between us. I'd rather sarcasm and hate. That way I can still talk to her._

"Seto! **Seto!**"

Kaiba vaulted up away from the wall and outside of the hut. He looked around, panicked, reaching for his deck of cards, all the while celebrating that fact that she still called him by his first name.

"Mina! What is it?"

She came dashing towards him, out of breath and clearly excited. Fallen Angel came slower behind her, smiling slightly. That was what made Kaiba place the deck back in his pocket.

"We found a black hole! I've got a theory that since a black hole brought us here, it'll bring us back!"

"Or it'll send us further back into time or get us lost in the future."

Mina wrinkled her nose up, something that she did when she was thinking that drove him wild. He could almost reach down and kiss the little scrunch out of that petite nose.

_Enough_

"We've got to try yeah? Come on! You go get the bags, I'll tell the villagers"

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The forest teamed with green. Green branches, green leaves, green moss, green everything. Leaves flaked the ground, creating a pathway of green and brown, trailing through the trees. It was dark, so very dark. Mina couldn't see further than a few metres in front of her. Relying on Fallen Angel, Mina instead concentrated on the black hole whirling down at her feet. It swirled, creating a not-so-perfect circle, jagged at the edges. She shivered. Forests should make noise. She should have been able to hear animals or the creaking of trees or at least the clacking of Arillarachs. There was no noise. Silence all around, deep and heavy. That was what first alerted Fallen Angel to the black hole. The forest was teaming with life and suddenly everything stopped. It was like putting a program on pause.

Mina was glad for Kaiba's presence by her side. She could hear his calm, steady breathing in contrast to her own deep breaths. He was so calm, so composed. There was no one else around. Fallen Angel didn't really breathe. Or if she did, Mina couldn't hear it. They had convinced the villagers to say their goodbyes to their 'goddess', Mina and Kaiba outside the forest. Despite their fear of Arillarachs and their mistrust of the black hole, they were willing to come and ensure their goddess was safe.

"Ready?" Kaiba looked at the woman by his side and nodded.

"Ready." He started as she grabbed his hand.

And jumped.

**A/N: would be wonderful if you guys commented and reviewed. Don't worry no pressure. I understand your pissyness at my lack of concentration on this story =p my bad. **


	13. Chapter 13: Reunion

_**Chapter 13**_

_**Reunion**_

**A/N: Hey hey! People ARE reading this. I love you all! =D**

**Cookies to "Miko Hayashi" and "cuddlyfish" who reviewed. I LOVE YOU =D**

**Yes, as you can see, there's plenty of love to go around. Specially for my Kaiba and Mina. **

Mina groaned, head throbbing as she rolled over onto her back. Her arm touched something warm and she recoiled back. Kaiba. She rolled up onto her knees and leant over, watching him breath.

"Hey, Seto. Seto?"

Reaching a hand over, she gently pushed his shoulder back and forth.

"Time to wake up now."

"Unghhh"

"What an eloquent reply. I'm sure if you heard yourself, you'd probably have a complex. Now WAKE UP!" At those words she thwacked him hard on his chest.

Kaiba jerked up and coughed.

"OW! Damn it woman, I'm **awake!**"

"Good. I can't be here by myself."

_Where is 'here' anyway?_ Mina stood, dusting of her skirt and looked round.

Kaiba propped himself up on his elbows and leaned back to look at his Mina, standing tall and scanning the surrounding area. He heard her give a little gasp and his body went into overdrive. Flinging himself up onto his legs, he scrambled up to her, panicked.

"What? What is it? What's – oh"

Walls rose around them, tall and imposing, reaching further than the eye could see. Their grey blocked out the sky and the view of anything else. No blue, no green. Just grey. On their left, the walls ran straight, on and on. To their right, a sharp corner turn. Behind them a straight run back. In front, a flat wall.

"A maze." Mina gasped. "We're in the maze that Credo said would be where his castle was."

"Crap."

"What'd you mean? We're so close to his castle."

"Yeah, or so far away. We could be right in the middle. We wouldn't know. Not when these walls are that high. And it could take us days to get through. Or we mightn't make it through at all."

"Shit. You're right. Oh! We have the pieces of the map that we won right? We can get through that way!"

"Mmmm. If they're the right pieces."

"Oh alright Mr. Negative. **You **think of something then."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and pulled up his deck. Pulling out a card, he flicked it over his ankh, light streaming from the card. Quickly his pushed Mina back and stepped out of the way. The walls shuddered as a worm, eyeless and hideous, rose from the card. It let out a roar, its foul breath nearly knocking Mina and Kaiba to their feet.

"The walls are probably built to stop people from cheating by flying over the wall. But I'm not sure if the floor is built that way. I don't think people are able to use their duel monsters to tunnel through." Kaiba turned to the Worm Drake

"Go down under the ground and if you can, find out how to get to the castle."

Mina darted forward, under Kaiba's arm and peeped up. "Or if not, see if there are people around here."

Kaiba nodded and the Worm Drake roared. Leaping up, body scrapping the walls, it burrowed deep into the earth, leaving a huge hole in its wake.

"We need to figure out how to get out of here. I need to find my brother and my friends. And you need to find your brother."

Mina pulled out her maps and motioned for Kaiba to do the same. Sliding down the wall, she sat legs curled up underneath her and spread the maps up around her.

"We gotta look at this like a jigsaw."

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"Look this is hopeless. There is no way we - "

"Kaiba look." Mina stood, pointing at the ground.

The ground shook, unbalancing the two. Bits of earth rocked and flew up around them, spraying them with dust. Earth began to pile up into a mound, like a geyser about to explode.

"Shit. Mina, move back"

Kaiba grabbed her hand and yanked her back with him to a corner of the maze. A second later, a gaping hole exploded from the ground, jagged yellow teeth surrounding the hole, a foul stench rising from it. The pink body of the worm flew up after it, landing on the ground with a bellow. The worm looked back to where they were, somehow sensing them though it had no eyes. It motioned its head to the left, moving slowly towards that direction.

Mina and Kaiba looked at each other for a split second before diving for the maps and their bags. Quickly they ran after the worm, following its flailing tail.

_Hopefully it's taking us in the direction of the castle. And towards my brother. _

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"The map says it's **this **way!"

"That's because you're holding it upside down you idiot! Why don't you leave the map reading to experts."

"What? To you? A girl? Girls have no sense of direction and have no ability to read maps. Guys do."

"Yeah, that why you were holding the map upside down. I actually meant Yugi could read the map."

Yugi squeezed his eyes shut and ran his hands through his hair.

_We need to get to the castle as soon as possible so I can ram that Credo into a wall and get my sister back._

Mokuba slipped his hand through Yugi's and smiled wobbly.

"I'm sure they're ok. I mean, we're talking about my big brother and Mina. They'd beat up anybody who'd mess with them."

Yugi smiled. "Yup, you're right. Come on, grab the map from Joey so we can actually get there."

After walking for a week, defeating anyone who got in their way, the group had made it to the maze. They had stood in awe in front of it, the never ending walls cutting an imposing sight. But they had to go through, had to find Mina. They had decided that the best and probably only way of getting them back was to go ask Credo where the hell they were. So they ran through the maze, using the map as a reference. It had taken them almost another week but they had made it. They were about to make it out of the maze and to the castle. And not too soon. In the last 5 days, they had been ambushed by hordes of killer bees, a herd of dinosaur type cards and Joey had personally fallen into four different traps, leaving him bruised and moody.

Yugi sighed and trudged forward, giving a smile at Tea. She worried about him, about his mental state with his sister gone.

_I'll get her back. I'll get her back…_

"Yuge look!"

Yugi looked back at Joey and then to the right at where he was pointing. The walls stretched on, forever and onwards until they reached a break in the never ending grey. There, not 500 metres ahead, the group could see sky, blue and dazzling. Beneath, the green of grass and trees burned into their eyes. Finally just beyond was a castle, huge and imposing and for the group, a sight for sore eyes.

Yugi broke into a smile, one that hadn't come out in 2 weeks. "Come on!"

He began to sprint, Joey, Mokuba, Tea and the others at his heels. They ran, past a turn in the wall to their left and then a hook in the wall to their right.

"What the hell is that?"

Yugi jerked forward, nearly toppling over as the ground shook, sending loose rocks flying everywhere. He nearly growled, grabbing his Dark Magician card out of his pack and calling it out.

_I knew it was too good to be true._

He placed himself in front of Mokuba and Tea while Dark Magician, Mai's harpy lady and Joey's Flame Swordsman stood in front of them, weapons at the ready. A roar echoed through the walls.

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"Jeez, how much longer?"

Mina and Kaiba had been running for half an hour, following the naked tail of the Worm Drake. Mina paused, panting while Kaiba leant against the wall catching his breath. Both jumped, startled as the Worm Drake gave out a roar of warning.

"Guess it was too much to ask to go unhindered through the whole maze. Get out Fallen Angel and get ready."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm not stupid you know."

_It would be easier for me if you were. _"On the count of three. One, two - "

"Dark Magician? **Yugi?**"

Mina gasped, knees wobbling slightly.

"**Yugi!"**

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Yugi braced himself as the roar got closer. Once he defeated whatever it was that came out of the corner, he would get to that castle and find out where his sister was even if he had to beat it out of Credo.

"**Yugi?**"

Yugi shook his head. It's a trap. Obviously they didn't want them getting close so they're going to play with his mind. Ass-hole.

_I'm going to get there and destroy that creep_

"**Yugi!**"

A woman came flying out from behind the Worm Drake, dark hair whipping around her face. Behind her, a man, tall and lithe walked, hands in pockets.

"Mina? Kaiba?" Yugi could hardly bare to believe.

"Big brother? BIG BROTHER!" Mokuba flung himself away from Yugi and into the man's arms.

Yugi ran forward, almost not believing until his sister toppled into his arms, out of breath and gasping. He buried his hands in her hair and held her close. She was here. She was really here and she was safe!

Mina pulled back from her brother, lifting up her head to smile and laugh at Joey and the rest. Resting her head back on her brother's shoulder, she sighed. _Safe_. Rising, she looked back and watched as Mokuba wrestled his brother to the ground while Kaiba gave one of his rare smiles that bewitched her heart. She closed her eyes, reminding herself why she said no and ran to Joey. Hugging each person in turn, the only thing she could do was laugh and smile.

Kaiba held his brother and watched at Mina ran from person to person, hugging and laughing. He wanted her hug again, he wanted to hear her laugh for him again. Groaning softly, he patted his brother's shoulder and walked towards Yugi. The only way he was going to get closer to Mina was to get closer to her brother. Once he did that, maybe, just maybe he'd learn to accept Wheeler. Mina was worth it after all…. Unfortunately.

"Yugi, you looked after my brother when I was gone."

"What else would we have done? We all care for Mokuba." Yugi looked at him incredulous.

Mina walked over and slipped her hands through her brother's, brown eyes boring holes into Kaiba.

Kaiba cleared his throat, noting the eyes of everybody else on him too. He didn't care for them. Only for girl in front of him. "Thanks. For looking after Mokuba and making sure he wasn't hurt."

Yugi smiled and looked at his sister. "Thanks. For looking after my sister and well, for not killing her. We were all afraid that you two would murder each other after the first 2 days."

"You don't know how close I was."

Kaiba nodded and began to walk towards the castle, hands in pockets, his brother at his side.

**A/N: Reviews, reviews! You know how I love them. =D anyone who reviews gets a personal shout out at each chapter. Haha bribes. **

**OH better bribe. My wonderful reviewers get to pick what their character and fav monster looks like in the next few chapters. How bout that? Even better eh? You get to have a character in the story! **

**So review k? LOVES (Y)**


	14. Chapter 14: Get a Grip

_**Chapter 14**_

_**Get a Grip**_

**A/N: k so I promised if you reviewed I'd let you have a character in the story; I know I know shameless bribe. But hey, I do what I can =p**

**Well, Miko Hayashi, welcome to the story =D**

**I do have one request. If you are interested, (and like my writing =S), I do have a story that has just been put up on . It's supernatural stuff mostly about shape shifters/werewolves. My name is devils-best-friend and the story name is called Howl to the Moon. I would love to have some readers and criticism if necessary. Thanks =D**

Mina gasped and ducked behind a pillar, breathing a little harder than usual. It was the last day of their 3 day rest, this night being the night of the celebratory ball and tomorrow would be the first day of the final duels. Mina had survived the last 2 days by staying in her room lounging in as much 21st century technology as possible. It was partially because she had missed proper food and television and partly because she wanted to avoid a certain man who had appeared right in front of her. It was just her luck that the first day she decided to really venture out, she came across that person exactly.

Kaiba walked right past her chosen hiding place, oblivious of everything. His face, upturned to the bright blue sky, was pensive though giving no inkling of what churned in his brain. Mina stared at him, eyes wide. He wasn't wearing his coat or his usual clothes. Granted, he wasn't dueling today but he always wore his trademark clothes when other people were around. She of course had seen him in other clothes, but that was a different situation entirely. But all the same, blue jeans? Since when? Coupled with it was a black silk shirt, the top 3 buttons undone in the heat, exposing his collarbone and the top of his godly chest. Mina felt her breathing shallow, and her fingers itched to run across his collarbone and down lower, feeling the planes of his chest.

_Where the hell are all these thoughts coming from?_

Kaiba sighed and Mina's eyes were drawn to his lips, the very same ones that had pressed onto her 4 days ago. She closed her eyes and remembered his tender touch, the hardness of his lips shaping hers, his tongue running across her lips.

_Get a grip girl! _

Mina gritted her teeth and slipped back into the empty dining room. Yugi and Joey had hardly allowed her to be alone by herself, obviously fearing something else would happen to her here. Mina had finally shaken them off, discovering a hot spring in the castle and urging them to take Tea and Mai there. So here she was, at 2pm alone and peaceful. And hungry. Ever since she had returned to the 21st century, she had had an absurd craving for food. All the time. So the best place to be alone and to eat at the same time would be in the dining room where everybody would have already finished their meal.

The buffet table was always stocked, overflowing with delicious meals and luscious deserts. Whatever Credo was, he certainly wasn't miserly. Mina grinned and grabbed a plate. Lumping as much as she wanted and whatever she wanted onto her plate, she carried her plate over to a table by a window and settled down to scarf down oodles of noodles while staring out into the menagerie. Credo had devised an altogether wondrous menagerie of every wild duel monster available on the island, on show for anyone who was at the castle. It was like an extreme zoo, any kids dream. A flash of déjà vu appeared to Mina's head, making her laugh.

_What is this, Jurassic Park?_

So preoccupied was she with the menagerie, Mina failed to hear the opening and closing of the main entry door to the dining room. It was only until the man had appeared by her table did she start.

"My my my. You're looking better by the year."

Mina jumped, startled and turned towards the man. Her tan face drained to a deathly white, her breathing becoming a little shallower.

"Keith…"

"Mind if I sit down? Good." Without waiting for an answer, the blonde bandit slipped into the chair opposite her and stared.

"What do you want?" Mina had to concentrate to make sure her sentence came out without wobbling.

_Get a grip girl! _

"I was hoping to run into you during the race through the island but I heard you got into a little bit of trouble." Keith laughed, his blonde hair flopping a little over his eyes. "My Mina, always getting to trouble."

"I'm **not** YOUR Mina and what's it to you anyway?"

"I just wanted to check if you were alright."

Keith grinned, slipping his hand on top of hers. Mina drew in a sharp breath, her hands sweaty and shaking.

"Don't touch me." She snapped.

Mina snatched her hand back from underneath Keith's and scraped her chair back hastily.

"Leave me alone, asshole."

Scrambling away, she escaped out towards the garden and behind the castle. Breathing hard, she leant against the cold stone wall, shaking.

"That wasn't a very nice thing to call me. After all, I was just looking out for you."

Mina jerked away, Keith's body appearing from around the corner. Dressed in dark blue jeans and a thick leather jacket, he looked even more large and imposing than usual.

"Piss off Keith."

Mina moved to walk away but jerked back against the wall as Keith grabbed her hand.

"I don't think so, love." Keith leaned against her, his nose skimming her jaw line. "Mmmm, you smell so good."

"Let me go!" Mina pushed him, breaking away from his hold, only to be pushed back against the wall by his large body.

"No way, love. You're so much more beautiful than before. There is no **way** I'm going to let you go now."

"Keith, please" Mina whimpered softly.

She couldn't fight him. Anybody, anybody but him. Panic filled her brain. All her training, all her skills were all for nothing. She couldn't even move to hit him. Just his presence alone was enough to make her feel faint and now that he was touching her, she felt paralysed. It was all for nothing. And now he was going to do it all again.

"That's right love. Say my name."

Keith grinned into her hair, skimming his lips over her neck. He could feel her shaking underneath him. She feared him, hated him so much and he loved it. It all became so much more fun. He couldn't forget the last time. She had felt so good, so sweet. He had to have her again

One arm snaked up to her waist, pinning her down against the wall while the other slid up her leg, touching her thigh.

"Tell me you're not enjoying this, love. I bet you are."

Mina whimpered again and Keith pressed himself against her, his thigh pushing in between hers, letting her feel how hard he was for her. He laughed cruelly and crushed his mouth onto hers, pushing hard enough to make her lips bleed.

Mina snapped awake the moment his lips crushed hers and began to struggle underneath him. Her body twisted and pushed against him, trying in every way possible to escape. Keith growled into her mouth, pushing his tongue down her throat, teeth drawing blood from her lips. He pushed her back against the wall, hard, his hand on her waist moving up higher and higher until it brushed the bottom of her breast. Keith groaned.

Mina froze, body going into lockdown. She couldn't move, pressed against the hard wall, Keith crushing her and tears running down her cheeks.

_Yugi. Big brother. _

Mina gasped as Keith's mouth was ripped away from hers and she found herself held softly, warm and safe.

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Kaiba roared and ripped Keith away from girl against the wall. She gasped, tears streaming down her cheeks. Kaiba's heart wenched and he lunged towards her, pulling her soft body into his, holding her close. He pressed his lips into her hair, wrapping his arms around her, whispering undefinable words in her ear, trying to make clear to her that she was safe.

"Seto." Mina whispered, burying her face into the silken feel of his shirt.

Kaiba hummed with satisfaction.

_Mine_

"What the FUCK! Get the fuck of my girl!" Keith made a grab towards Kaiba, ripping Mina out of his arms.

Kaiba sucked in a breath, trying to calm the raging monster in his heard roaring for blood. The man had raped his Mina and was trying to do it again. There was no way in **hell** he was going to get away with it.

"She's not yours and never will be. I won't repeat myself again. **Stay away from her.**"

Kaiba's voice dropped to an animalistic growl, the sound coming from deep in his chest, causing Mina to shiver, whether with fear or something else she didn't know.

"Ooooh, scary. Or what? You'll call your servants to bash me up? Do you KNOW who I am? I'm friggin Bandit Keith and there is **no way** a pretty boy like you is **ever **going to tell me what to do."

"Stay away from her."

"Like hell I will."

Keith lunged at Kaiba throwing him to the ground. Kaiba flipped round easily and threw a punch at Keith's head, connecting with his jaw.

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Keith backed away, his nose and possibly his arm broken. Kaiba glared, using the back of his hand to wipe away the blood that dripped from his mouth. Mina made a noise of concern behind him and Kaiba turned to check on her. Mina let out a little scream and Kaiba whipped his head back just in time to dodge the slice of Keith's Panther Warrior's sword.

Without missing a beat, Kaiba whipped out a card and placed it into his ankh. The grounds shook as a roar filled the air. Blue Eyes White Dragon emerged in front of Kaiba, livid that his master and mate were being attacked. With a great shriek, he opened his maws, ripping the head of the Panther Warrior with a snap of his neck. Flinging open his wings, he roared, and whipped his tail at Keith knocking him solidly onto the ground, claws digging into his body.

Keith screamed as Blue Eyes lowered its great jaws towards his body, eyeing his prey.

"Enough, Blue Eyes. **Stay away from Mina, or we'll do worse to you." **Kaiba snarled, voice rough and low. "Blue Eyes will now take you to Credo and you will confess everything you have done, in front of them both. He will send you off this island. If he doesn't, Blue Eyes will. Do you understand me? Once you get off the island, you will leave as far as possible away from Domino City unless you want me to come after you."

Blue Eyes released his wings and gripped Keith none to gently by the shoulders, carrying him in his talons towards Credo's office.

Kaiba turned urgently towards Mina, eyes conveying his worry.

Mina closed her eyes, drawing in 3 rattling deep breaths. Her knees wobbled slightly and she leant against the wall to stop from falling.

"I'm fine."

Kaiba raised his eyebrow and moved to reach out to her.

Mina flinched. "Kaiba, I'm fine. Really. I just need to breath for a second."

"If you're sure." Kaiba breathed softly, a little hurt at her flinch. He turned and walked away.

"Kaiba?" He stopped, not turning back to her. "Thanks."

He grinned slightly, not allowing her to see and raised his hand in acknowledgment. "See you at the ball."

"Which one are you going to pick?" Tea squealed, in heaven.

Mina sighed. She wasn't really in the mood for a ball right now. However, she had to appear. One, it was decreed by Credo. Two, she usually loved balls and if she didn't go to this one, Yugi would get worried.

_Three; you want to see Kaiba again... _ _(Especially with a tux on)_

Mina growled softly at her inside voice and drew herself up. Staring into the huge wardrobe Credo had prepared for every person who reached the castle, she tried to show as much enthusiasm as she normally would have.

There was no way she was telling anybody about Keith today. Yugi might have a heart attack and that would ruin things for Tea who was about to sprout wings, she was so excited.

"I think that one's really pretty."

_You just wanna look good for Kaiba._

_Shut up. _

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A fanfare filled the huge golden ballroom, calling the glittering ballroom's attention towards the ornate gold double doors on the top of the marble staircase.

Credo stepped through the double doors, blue hair immaculate. His black tuxedo complimented his form perfectly.

"I hope every one of you has enjoyed your time here on the island and I congratulate you lucky few who have made it to my castle. I know it was a challenge and these last few days of rest have been well earned. Tomorrow, you will begin the duelling championship, vying for the position to battle me and win the ultimate prize."

Credo waited until the cheer at his words ended before continuing. "For now, let us eat, drink and be merry. But first, a dance. As host of this party, I request the hand of a young lady to dance with me."

With exquisite grace, Credo stepped towards Mina and extended his hand. "Miss Minako Moto, will you honour me with this dance."

Mina hesitated for a moment, looking towards Yugi before smiling and following the blue haired man into the middle of the dance floor. As he spined her, Mina's eyes darted to the many body's watching in the crowd, scanning for brown hair, ice blue eyes and a frown.

Kaiba leaned against the wall in the shadows, a drink in his hand. Jealousy roared inside of him as he watched the blue haired freak bow and extend a hand towards Mina. _His Mina_. **He** should be the one out there with her dancing, not Credo. The moment he had seen her enter the room at her brother's side, all his senses had gone into overdrive. He had to rush towards the bar to calm his brain which was screaming at him to go over and claim her.

She had come out more simply dressed than many of the women here. A deep blue floor length dress shimmered over her body, a long slit exposing her creamy, lithe leg. The dress was strapless, and was complimented by a simple necklace, a diamond hanging on the end. Her head was held high, eyes shining, her hair pulled to one side, twisting softly into a long ringlet that cascaded down her left shoulder. She was breathtaking.

_She should be mine._

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Mina slipped over to Yugi and the rest of the gang who were sitting by the bar talking. She smiled and grabbed a drink, chipping into their conversation.

"Yugi and Mina Moto? Joey Wheeler?"

The group turned to a woman sitting next to them, sipping a cocktail. She slowly uncrossed her long legs, flowing from under a short red dress. She grinned at them and winked, one eye hidden under a shocking bangs of white while the other, vivid red/violet closed, lashes touching her cheeks. She flipped her black hair back over her shoulder and stuck out her hand.

Yugi smiled. "Yeah. Hi."

"Nice you meet you. Name's Miko."

"So you made it through this island too huh?"

"Hell hole wasn't it."

Mina grinned at Yugi. "Tell me about it."

Miko smiled and downed the rest of drink. "Well I'll see you guys again soon. Hopefully on the duelling floor."

Joey grinned. "Looking forward to it."

Miko gave a little smile and walked down towards the dance floor where a tall man in white asked her to dance. Mina smiled, patted Yugi's arm and slipped away.

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"Dance with me?" Mina gasped as she neared a darkly lit corner of the room, a husky voice whispered in her ear.

She stared into ice blue eyes and speech failed her. She nodded her head and allowed herself to be led towards the dance floor. She wondered what her friends would be thinking but for just this moment, she didn't care. She could deal with it later. For the moment, all that she could think of was the feel of his arms around her, his warm body pressed into hers. She leant her head against his chest, reminded of the exact same position they were in not too much later that day. Kaiba made a low sound deep in his chest and Mina looked up.

Kaiba stared down into her eyes, slowly revolving them on the spot. Mina smiled at him, his heart thumping double time because of it. She frowned now, her nose wrinkling up, making him want to lean down to kiss it. Mina lifter her hand up and softly touched the corner of his mouth, where a cut still lay from his fight with Keith.

"It's no big deal."

"It is. I didn't really thank you back then. So I'll do it now. Thank you." Mina leant her head back on his chest.

Her voice vibrated through him. "You have no idea how frightened I was, how upset. I had trained for so long, fought for so long and all for nothing. The moment he touched me it's like my body went into lock down. If you hadn't come, he would have done the same thing to me that he did before." Mina's voice broke a little as she confessed it.

"I wouldn't have let him." Kaiba growled fiercely.

He circled his arms protectively around her, one on the back of her head, stroking softly.

Mina sighed quietly and smiled into his chest.

_Shit. I'm in so much trouble_

_I'm in love with Seto Kaiba. _

**A/N: K lovelies, you know what**** to do =D **

**Miko – you'll b in it some more dw. 2day was just you're debut. **


	15. Chapter 15: Mine

_**Chapter 15**_

_**Mine**_

**A/N: Im sorry this has taken SO long! I love you guys =D**

"No, no, NO! Come on!" 

Mina slipped into the duelling room silently, guilty for two reasons. One, she was late to Joey's semi final duel. Two, the **reason** why she was late to Joey's semi final duel. Slinking silently to Yugi's side at his vantage point on top of the duelling stage, she watched as Joey's Jinzo screamed and sank to the ground, writhing.

The Red Eyes Black Dragon screamed in victory as the Jinzo disappeared at its feet. Miko Hayashi, the raven haired female they had met a few days before at the party flipped her lock of white hair back and pumped her fist in the air. Mina cheered, slightly confused.

"Who's winning? I can't see the score board." She whispered to Yugi.

"At the moment, they're neck and neck. Joey better pull something good out or he's a goner. They both only have about 500 points left, and Miko's got her Red Eyes out."

Yugi looked at his sister standing beside him. It wasn't like her to be late for Joey's match, especially since it was the semi finals. They had both already gotten into the finals along with Kaiba. This last match was to find out who was the last finalist. Mina would have never been late. He looked down at her flushed face and dishevelled hair. Something must have happened.

_I'll find out later _

Mina was slightly confused. She had to root for Joey. He was Joey, one of her best friends. But she liked Miko. She had spent the last couple of days with her, talking and laughing. Mina could see her brother looking at her slightly confused as to her being late.

_I promised I would do it tonight. _

If Miko were here, she'd have known right away. After all she was the only one Mina had told about Kaiba. She couldn't tell any of her friends as she still wasn't sure whether they'd hate her. However, Miko didn't care. In fact, she thought it all very... sweet...

_Sweet... yeah right... this is killing me. _

"Finally."

Mina's eyes darted up, glancing at Joey who had just drawn a card out of his deck and was grinning like he was stuck by himself in a swimsuit model show.

"I call...my **own **Red Eyes Black Dragon"

_Two Red Eyes?_

Mina hadn't been expecting that. She knew both Joey and Miko both had a full Red Eyes deck but it still came as a shock to her and to most people around them as two Red Eyes Black Dragons towered over the duelling stage, dwarfing the rest of the monsters, cards and people alike.

Her eyes snapped up as she saw a movement in the back of the opposite duelling lookout. Locking gazes with icy eyes, she blushed and dropped her gaze, watching the duel, albeit distractedly.

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Seto Kaiba walked, no, strutted into the duelling room, striding to his spot as others moved out of the way for him. He sat and looked up straight at Mina.

_His Mina_

He grinned as he realised how possessive he had gotten. She was his. His grin widened as Mina blushed and looked down, much to the confusion of Mokuba who sat next to him, leaning over the railing to get a good look at the two Red Eyes battling it out.

Kaiba had no interest in watching Wheeler embarrass himself, so instead he leant back in his chair and closed his eyes. He had much better things to think about.

_**Flashback:**_

Mina slipped into some fluffy slippers as she got out of bed. She really should have been out doing something, it was already 1 pm. However, her semi final duel had finished at 2am last night and the gang had stayed up till 5 in the morning celebrating. She had collapsed into her bed with a hangover and had woken up this morning with a groan to a knock on her door.

Passing by her dresser, she saw a note from Yugi addressed to her.

"_**Morning sleeping beauty!**_

_**Congrats again for your awesome win. I knew you had it in you!**_

_**You leant it all from me =p**_

_**Well, anyway, we're all out for a celebratory lunch and then we're going to Joey's Semi Final match.**_

_**Join us for lunch whenever you're ready. Joey's duel is at 2:00pm so I've set three alarms for 1:30 just in case. I know you're a light sleeper but it's a precaution. =D**_

_**I love you!**_

_**Love Yugi"**_

Mina smiled at her brother's note and unlocked her door.

"Someone partied hard."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow, looking down at her dishevelled leather jacket, top and skirt. Her eyes were filled with sleep and her hair flicked up at different ends. He grinned. One day, he was going to wake up with her having this exact same look right beside him.

"S-Seto, what're you doing here?"

"I didn't get to say congratulations yesterday."

"Well, you've said it. 'Kay bye."

Mina hurriedly pushed the door closed, but Kaiba stuck a hand through the gap and held it open.

He leant down, his face nearing hers. "In a hurry are we?"

"Yugi may be back soon and someone might see okay?"

"Didn't stop you the last time." 

"Last time, it was night and everybody was distracted with the ball."

"So, now everybody's distracted with Wheeler's duel. Don't be rude Moto. Didn't you're brother teach you to invite your guests in."

"Yeah, but not into a hotel room..."

Kaiba grinned and pushed the door back, slipping in before Mina could catch her balance and push him out.

"Seto, seriously, you gotta go."

Her heart stopped as he smiled his sexy grin and it started up again, spluttering into triple time as he stalked closer.

"But I still haven't congratulated you yet."

Mina had never seen Seto like this before. He was like a lion, stalking his prey. She didn't like being prey. Now she knew what a deer caught in the headlights felt like. She couldn't move, her legs feeling like jelly, her body trembling slightly.

Kaiba sensed her fear, and crowed internally. That girl needed to fear him just a little. She was **his** and she had to respect him. He moved closer to her, lifting his hand to stroke her face. He had wanted to do that for **days**. Just touch her, just make her smile. The last time had been outside the ballroom, and it was the best day of his life, feeling her lips pressed against his, her groan vibrating throughout his whole body.

Kaiba almost let out a moan. He hadn't even kissed her and she was already undoing him. Mina pressed her cheek harder into Kaiba's hand, closing her eyes. She really shouldn't be doing this, but she couldn't help it. Kaiba watched her close her eyes and bite her bottom lip. He growled softly and she looked up at him in shock.

"Only I'm allowed to do that?"

"Do what?"

Kaiba leaned closer, using his hand still resting gently on her cheek to pull her towards him. Placing his lips against hers, he nipped softly at her bottom lip.

"That." He breathed.

Mina gasped and gripped his shirt. He hadn't even kissed her properly and she couldn't stand by herself. What was he doing to her?

Leaning down, Kaiba reclaimed her lips, pressing hard upon them. The last time they had kissed, it was soft, hesitant. Now it was wild, demanding. Mina gasped and Kaiba dove right in, his tongue flicking against hers, dancing together.

Mina slid her hands up, past his neck, past his face and wound them into his thick locks, pulling his head closer as they grasped each other. She pressed herself into his warm body and flicked her tongue over his lips, earning a groan from the usually stoic man.

"Mina. **My** Mina."

His hands trailed around her hips, locking her body against his hardness. Mina gasped loudly and wrapped her legs around his waist. Kaiba chuckled against her mouth and slid his hands around her thighs, supporting her. Still kissing her, he walked her over to the bed, lying her down and staring at her.

She was all his. All that beauty, all that intelligence, all that ... everything. All of it was his.

Smiling slightly, he shifted himself on top of her and reclaimed her mouth, pressing hard against her lips. He lifted his head up from the kiss, earning a frustrated growl from the woman. Kaiba grinned coyly and puckered kisses along her jaw line, tracing up towards her ear. Trailing down, he flicked his tongue underneath her earlobe, loving the gasp that it induced. He kissed down from her ear, stopping at her throat. Mina moaned loudly, wrapping her hands in his hair, eyes closed in pleasure.

"**RIIIING!" **

Mina's eyes flew open and Kaiba jerked back, shocked.

Simultaneously, two other '**RIIINGS'** were heard from the other bedside table, screaming in their ears.

"SHIT! The alarm clocks! Seto, I have to go. Joey's duel is on now."

She detangled her arms from his body and tried to push the man off. Kaiba grinned lazily and pressed her back down.

"We still have time."

"Seto, seriously, come on."

Kaiba locked his lips against hers and his fingers, feather light, ran underneath the rim of her shirt. Mina squirmed in pleasure, forgetting everything for the moment. All she could concentrate on has his lips pressing on hers and his calloused hand, pressed against her belly, his thumb rubbing softly. Each rub caused sharp bolts of white light to run up to her brain and down to the middle of her thighs.

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"Seto." Mina pulled her lips away from his. "Its 2:15. I **have** to go. I would never forgive myself if I missed his duel."

Groaning, Kaiba nodded and placed one more passionate kiss against her lips, trailing down towards her throat. He untangled his hands from under her shirt and untangled **her** hands from under **his** shirt, moaning softly as her fingertips dragged down his chiselled abdomen. Unwrapping her legs from around his waist, he rolled off her to the side of the bed and watched as she jumped off, running to the bathroom.

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When Mina got back into the room, her clothes were immaculate, her hair in place and her heart beating at its right pace. Stopping short, she almost cried out in annoyance as her heartbeat stopped.

Kaiba was leaning back on her bed, propped up on his elbows, watching her. One leg, wrapped in black jeans was propped up while the other lounged slightly off the edge of the bed. His hair, still dishevelled from her ministrations, made him altogether too sexy to give up. Mina shut her eyes and breathed in a couple of times, trying to remain calm and not run onto the bed and ravish him where he lay.

"You're going to have to tell them about me sometime soon babe."

Mina opened her eyes as Kaiba's husky bass filled her ears, sending shivers down her back. He stepped off the bed and wrapped his arms around her warm body, obviously slightly panicked about this decision.

"Yeah. I know. I have to do it soon too. I dunno how long I can keep you a secret."

Kaiba grinned into her hair and hugger her closer, kissing the top of her head.

"I'll be there with you, don't you worry. But babe," he pulled back, staring into her eyes "best do it today."

Mina sighed and grudgingly broke out of his embrace. "Can you come tonight? We'll have a party in my room whether Joey wins or loses. Bring Mokuba as well 'kay? If we're going to spill, might as well spill to everybody.

_**End of Flashback**_

Kaiba opened his eyes and stared at his Mina. Her face was losing its charming flush, though her hair was still dishevelled. He couldn't help giving her a goodbye kiss, running his hands through her hair, wanting to leave his mark on her.

A loud roar made him look down at the duelling stage. Wheeler's Red Eyes was ensnared in a trap the girl Miko had set up, his last monster thrashing and dying where it stood. Kaiba sighed as the gold points next to Wheeler's name rolled down to 0.

_Pathetic. Always charging in head first and not thinking. _

Kaiba grudgingly stopped his thoughts. He was going to have to put up with Wheeler. Whatever it took to keep Mina.

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Mina walked back with Yugi to her room, the two being separated from the others to get the room ready for the Condolences party while they others tried to drag Joey away from the bar and stop him from trying to "drown his sorrows."

After 10 minutes of quiet chatter, placing food on as many places as possible, Mina looked up at her brother.

"Um... big brother. I gotta tell you something. I was gonna tell everybody altogether but I think I wanna tell you first. You're not going to like it."

Yugi looked up. He had never seen his little sister so wound up before. Pulling her into a hug, he held her close.

"What's up babe? Just tell me. I won't judge."

A knock broke the silence and Mina rushed to the door, throwing it open to allow Mokuba and Seto into the room. Mina audibly sighed, both with relief and anxiety. Kaiba placed a hand softly on her shoulder and turned her around, his hand not leaving its secure place on her shoulder.

"Mokuba, Yugi. We gotta say something to you and Mina's convinced this won't go well. I promised I would be here for her when she told you so..."

Yugi looked confused, not understanding the reason why his sister's arch enemy was placing his hands on her shoulder in comfort, and "being here for her..."

Mokuba looked up at his big brother. "What is it?"

Mina took a deep breath. "Seto and I are... going out."

Yugi choked and Mokuba stood still for a second. Then he burst out into a huge grin and ran to hug his big brother and the girl he thought of as his big sister. 

"YAY! This is perfect!"

Mina smiled down at him, but she kept her eyes up at her brother, who was staring at the two in shock. His reaction, she was assuming, was completely different from Mokuba's.

Kaiba cleared his throat and spoke from his position behind Mina. "Mina didn't say it properly. I'm in love with her and I'm lucky enough to have her fall in love with me as well."

Yugi stepped forward and Kaiba stepped around Mina, as if to protect her.

"Mina, is he forcing you to do this? I can't understand!"

Kaiba growled at the insult and Mina placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back and stepping closer to her brother.

"He's not forcing me nii-chan. I- I do love him. You don't understand. He- he saved me more times than I can count. The day that Bandit Keith got thrown out? That was because he tried to – he tried to - " Mina looked down at Mokuba and changed what she was about to say. "He tried to do what he did all those years before. Seto saved me. He saved me in the past as well, countless times. I owe him my life like 100 times over and well, I'm in love with him."

Yugi stopped, closing his eyes.

Mina trembled, sure her beloved brother would hate her. Instead, she saw a slow smile spreading over his face. She stared, confused while Kaiba behind her breathed a sigh of relief and sent a thousand silent thanks to his rival. Whatever he was, he was fair. Kaiba always knew that and liked him all the more for that. Although he would never admit it.

"If he did all you say, I owe him my life as well. And that, along with the fact that you love him and he loves you, and that I **know** he is more than capable of looking after you, that's what's making me so very happy."

Mina laughed happily and jumped into his arms, smiling back at Seto.

Yugi smiled back at his tall rival and at his sister. Then his smile dropped. "Now all we have to do it tell Joey."

"Shit."

**A/N: You know what to do my lovelies =D R&R =D**


	16. Chapter 16: Confessions

_**Chapter 16**_

_**Confessions**_

**A/N: Hey you guys, sorry for late update. Also sorry for the short chapters, things have been rather hectic at school. I know I know… no excuses. Well here you go. **

"Come on Joey! We're nearly there!"

"Ugh I just wanna go to bed! I've lost ok? Who needs a stupid congratulations party?"

"Its condolences not congratulations…"

"Whatever…"

Joey, Mai, Tea, Serenity and Tristan walked back towards Mina's room, arguing the whole way. Joey, frustrated, drunk and pissed off, yanked open the door to the room and barged in. There a strange sight caught his eye.

Yugi was sitting on the chair next to the dresser while Mokuba sat on the floor in front of him. What was Mokuba doing in Mina's room?

Joey sniggered

_Maybe he got sick of his stupid brother and came to hang out with us. That'd serve Kaiba right…"_

He jerked forward and stopped. There, on the king-sized bed sat Mina, curled up between the long legs of Seto Kaiba and leaning back against his expansive chest. She looked up as Joey and the others entered, biting her lower lip. Yugi and Mokuba too, looked a little uncomfortable. The only one completely at ease was Kaiba, running one hand lazily though her dark hair.

Joey blinked and launched himself at Kaiba. Yugi, startled, leapt up and grabbed his best friend by his arm, pulling him onto the ground, away from his sister and her lover.

"What the **hell **are you going with your hands on Mina? Get the **fuck** away from her! YUGI! Why are you letting that **BASTARD** rape Mina!"

"I'm not **raping** her and nor will I tolerate you mentioning things like that in front of her."

Kaiba shifted up from being Mina and strode to face the fuming blonde. Mina made a startled noise and moved to come in between them.

"Babe, I told you I'd be here to help you. You've already told your brother. I'll tell everyone else."

Kaiba looked straight at Joey, expression unchangeable. "If this is your reaction for my hand being in her hair, then I wonder what you'd say to all the other things we've done."

Joey jerked viciously against Yugi's grip while Mina choked out a strangled protest. Kaiba looked back at her and grinned. Turning, he jerked his head at Yugi, signaling for the blonde to be let free. Joey collapsed onto the floor, head ringing.

"This is the worst day ever…"

Tea, Serenity, Tristan and Mai walked past Joey, Tristan dragging him to his feet. Glaring at Mina, Kaiba and Yugi, Mai stood, hands on hips.

"Explain."

Kaiba walked towards Mina and lounged beside her, lazily looking up at the crowd. Mina shifted uncomfortably beside him. She reached out to Mokuba and buried her face in his hair, her cheeks burning red.

"Kumph nee gig noigt"

Mokuba giggled, jumping from one foot to another as Mina talked into his hair.

Kaiba sighed and placed a soft hand on her back. Might as well do it now instead of dragging it on forever. As it was, Wheeler was going to have an aneurysm in any minute.

"What Mina meant to say was that she and I are going out. Although I'm not really sure that's the right word to use."

All jaws dropped. It would have been rather comical for Kaiba if Mina weren't scared stiff. As it was he had to force himself from sniggering. It would have made it worse. Plus, Seto Kaiba didn't stoop to sniggering.

"You're - "

"Since when?"

"As if!"

"**Yugi!" **Wheeler's voice lifted over the chorus of disbelief. "You're **OK** with this?"

Yugi gave a sheepish grin and shrugged, running his hands through his spiky hair. He was anticipating this reaction. He hoped that, given time, they would accept Kaiba with Mina. In his opinion they fit together perfectly. She complimented him perfectly and vice versa. He would protect her and make sure she didn't get into **too **much trouble while she could lighten him up. She made him smile for god's sake. Not that this opinion was going to be voiced anytime soon, judging by the murderous look on Joey's face.

"I – um – well... Yeah actually."

Kaiba watched as Tea blinked a couple of times and traipsed up to Yugi, settling herself on his lap. What a cute couple... Ugh... He hoped that Mina didn't expect him to put up with that crap. Not that she was the "sit on lap" type... Tea smiled at him and Mina, still hidden behind Mokuba's mass of black hair. Kaiba smiled inwardly and nudged her softly. She looked up and turned to Tea.

"If Yugi's ok with it, and you're ok with it Mina, then I'm ok with it was well." Tea smiled and slipped her hand into Yugi's who squeezed it gratefully.

Serenity following Tea's lead, flinching under her brother's glare, congratulated the pair as well. Mai considered them for two seconds and got up, heels not making a sound on the carpeted floor. Walking over to Mina on the white bed, she ignored Kaiba and gave her a huge 'whack' on the back.

"Nice work! Ok, like he's a stiff, but you can always fix that. He's hot! No arguments there."

Mina coughed and looked up startled. Laughing shakily she turned to look at Kaiba whose face had drained of all colour. She giggled and gave a small high five to the blonde.

Joey and Tristan looked at the scene in disbelief.

"What the **fuck** guys! This is **KAIBA** we're talking about! Twenty bucks he **forced **her into this!"

Mai turned to face Joey, face stern. "Does she look forced to you Joey Wheeler?"

"No but - "

"No **buts!** You just - "

"Mai, its ok." Mina released Mokuba, who screwed up his face and rubbed the back of his head worriedly. She stood and walked over to the two men.

"Guys look. This happened when we went down the black hole. He looked after me and we had a good time. He saved me like twenty times down there and put up with all my shit. Then we got back here and he saved me from Keith. And **waaay** before that he saved me when the monsters attacked the meeting spot."

Tristan looked down at the floor, shuffling his feet while Joey grew redder by the second.

"That doesn't count for **shit!** So what?"

"So what? Joey! I – I love him 'kay? That's what."

Joey flinched at those words while Kaiba sat up, startled.

_She loved him. She loved him. She was his!_

He schooled his face to relax. It didn't do to jump up and down with joy in front of these people. He'd do it when he got back to his room. The only thing that made this better was the look on Wheeler's face.

Joey choked on his words, hands clenched into fists. "You – you love him?"

"Yeah. I do. It's my choice who I go out with and I pick Seto."

Tristan nodded at that moment and walked towards Serenity, smiling slightly at Mina as he did so. Joey was the only one left standing.

"Sure sure you say that but what about him? What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if he leaves you upset and crying? What if he hurts you?"

Kaiba got to his feet and drew himself to his full height, watching at Wheeler seethed at him. He couldn't help it, his respect for the blonde grew. Just a little mind, not too much. He still resented the dog but he'd put up with him for Mina's sake. Wheeler's objections to him going out with Mina were because he thought Kaiba might hurt her. It was an absurd notion however; Kaiba conceded that he couldn't hate the man because of it. He couldn't hate anyone who had his Mina in priority.

"Wheeler." Everyone turned to stare at the tall man, exuding authority where he stood. "I understand your doubts but there is no need for them. I love Mina. I've loved her for a while now and I'm willing to do anything to prove it. I will protect her even if it means my life."

Kaiba turned his ice blue eyes to stare at his Mina, holding her with the intensity of his gaze. "I love her."

Joey watched the two and conceded. Unclenching his fists, he walked towards Kaiba.

He stretched out his arm.

The whole room tensed.

The two men shook hands curtly.

"Fine. I believe you. For now. As long as you take care of her, I won't have anything to say. I won't like it but I won't say anything."

"That's all I'm asking for."

Kaiba turned and smiled softly at Mina. He reached out and pulled her into his embrace. Holding her close, he whispered into her silken black hair.

"I told you it'll all work out."

**A/N: hopefully the new chapter will be out soon. =S**

**Kk hope you like it and review k?**

**Loves to all who have =D**


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